It is 354 AD. Julian, a young scholar in Athens, is the last survivor of a bloody political purge that killed his entire family. Unexpectedly summoned to the court of the Emperor Constantius, he fears the worst - only to find himself promoted to Caesar of the Western Empire. Julian proves to be a military genius, crushing the German tribes that have threatened Rome for generations. Soon after, defying his own emperor against overwhelming odds, he risks civil war and ultimately seizes the Empire for himself, becoming the most powerful man in the world while still only 30. Now the dark side of his ambition emerges. Julian discards the Christianity of his boyhood and sets his sights on the greatest conquest of all - the Persian Empire. In Persia, however, his gods and his sanity desert him, and in one swift stroke the course of history is altered forever. This breathtaking account of the life of Julian explores one of the most dangerous periods - and one of the most enduring mysteries - of all time.