Publisher's Synopsis
In the previous year, Rome finally defeated and demolished Carthage. At the same time, a war in the Peloponnese gave Rome the excuse to take complete, direct control of most of the Greek cities. The question the senate faces is whether to demolish Corinth, the richest city in Greece, or use it as a source of continuing profits. Servius Fulvius Flaccus returns to Rome with an assignment, make the senate rethink its plan to tear Corinth down and sell its inhabitants as slaves. The victorious general, Lucius Mummius, has decided the best course is to restore and control the city. The senate thinks otherwise. And the senate is soon confronted with other suggestions, about other issues, that threaten to disrupt orderly practices centuries in the making. Servius Fulvius involves himself in political fights that he is not sure are worth the full attention of Rome. What Rome really needs to do is settle its richest provinces, Citerior and Ulterior, in Hispania - both threatened by revolt and invasion headed by a very effective enemy general. Working behind the scenes, Servius addresses this real issue, meanwhile setting up his own election as an officer in the army that will extinguish the struggles in Hispania. But other crises intervene and Servius Fulvius finds himself dedicated to tasks that he believes are distractions.
