As Caesar takes control of Rome and consolidates his grip over the republic, he awards himself evergreater powers. Appointed dictator for one year to restore peace, he soon extends this to ten years and then for life. Caesar has become untouchable, and Rome is now a dictatorship. Caesar’s ambition has turned to tyranny. A handful of senators, including some of his closest allies, plot to end his rule in the only way they can: by taking his life. But will that be enough to save the republic?
Caesar has brokered an uneasy alliance with the two other most powerful men in the republic. Between them, they dominate the political system, and Caesar appears untouchable. He leaves Rome to take the governorship of Gaul – modern-day France – to conquer its people and win yet greater power and prestige. But events beyond his control threaten to unravel his plans and leave him isolated. Pushed into a corner, he makes a decision that will change the course of the republic forever.
Caesar seeks to become consul, the highest political position in Rome. To do so, he enters into dangerous alliances and bends the rules of the republic, courting the popular vote, exploiting division and using bribery and intimidation to get his own way. But his unconventional approach to politics and disregard for established customs sets him at odds with the conservative elite within the senate. And one man – Cato – is hellbent on bringing him down.