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Harper
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
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London SE1 9GF
First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2014
Copyright © Harry Sidebottom 2014
Maps © John Gilkes 2014.
Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2015
Cover photographs © Stephen Mulcahey/Arcangel Images (eagle sculpture); Shuttershock.com (ancient ruins, background).
Harry Sidebottom asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
While some of the events and characters are based on historical incidents and figures, this novel is entirely a work of fiction.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 970007499847
Ebook Edition © 2014 ISBN: 9780007499861
Version: 2015-02-17
TO EWEN BOWIE, MIRIAM GRIFFIN
AND ROBIN LANE FOX
Our history now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust.
CASSIUS DIO LXXII.36.4
There have never been such earthquakes and plagues, or tyrants and kings with such unexpected careers, which were rarely if ever recorded before.
HERODIAN I.I.4
CONTENTS
