Hadrian's Wall: A Novel

he Wall. When the Roman Emperor Hadrian first envisioned the awesome edifice in 122A.D., he sought to use stone, wood, and iron to shield Roman Britannia from the unconquered Celtic barbarians. Stretching over 70 miles from one coast to another, the Wall maintained the security of the Roman Empire's northern outpost for over two hundred years. But now a visitor has come, and with her, changes for the Wall, and perhaps all of Rome.

A new Tribune, Marcus Flavius, has come to assume command of the Wall, a position he secured not through battles fought or wars won, but through his marriage to a Senator's daughter, Valeria. He replaces a brutal veteran, Galba Brassidias, an ambitious soldier whose skill in battle is rivaled only by his Machiavellian brilliance. Now Galba will do anything it takes to regain his position, and his instrument will be the Wall's newest addition, the Lady Valeria.

The intrigue on the Roman side of the wall is matched by the dangers that lurk on the other side, among Celtic warriors determined to rid their land of the invaders. They are led by the dynamic and mysterious barbarian chieftain Arden Caratacus, a man who seems to know as much of hated Rome as he does of his own people. As the tensions mount between his followers and the Roman occupiers, he must decide what is more important to him -- the freedom of his people, or his trust in the new Tribune's wife. All will be decided on the field of battle, where the fate of an Empire may rest in the strength of Hadrian's Wall.

William Dietrich is a novelist, Pulitzer-winning journalist, historian and naturalist who lives on an island in Washington State.