This book is the 2nd in a trilogy about Constantine’s rise to Emperor. It focuses on the 3 years between 309 and 312 in which there is a tense stand-off between at least 6 claimants to power. The focus is on the Western half of the Empire where Constantine rules in Gaul/Britain and Maxentius in Rome/Africa. These former friends, remorselessly drifting apart, their bond strained to breaking point by misunderstandings (the authors sure do like to ring on this bell!) and by Maxentius’ troublesome father, the former Emperor, Maximian, wily and unscrupulous eager to become Emperor once more.

There are moments of military action spread throughout the book (fighting on the Rhine border, in Africa, and in Marseilles and Italy), but these are almost incidental. The main theme of the book is surprisingly contemplative. Both potential emperors do a lot of thinking about their own circumstances and motivations (all that thinking means it would be hard to film this book). The rivals Constantine and Maxentius both experience personal suffering and grief. The existing Roman religions do not offer the solace they need and there is a sense of a spiritual change about to happen, as encapsulated in Constantine’s question (to himself) ‘What brings a man to choose his god?’ (p.224).

Grief, sorrow, loss and regret are to the fore, set against a background of the still developing Christian religion. Neither Constantine nor Maxentius are Christian but the religion is growing and they seem to see different potential in it - Maxentius sees Christians as endlessly in-fighting, but Constantine finds it a unifying factor as it helps him win over Goths to the Empire. So, it looks like we are set up to see Christianity become both a game-changing political and spiritual force.

Oddly, the book kind of reminded me of Walter Pater’s nineteenth century novel, Marius, the Epicurean, in which Marius explores ancient philosophies until he finds Christianity that best explains his natural soulfulness. There is a similar sense that history has temporarily gone into ‘standby’ mode and also of yearning, expectation, linked to spiritual needs that have outgrown available institutional resources. Obviously, Pater’s nineteenth-century novel doesn’t have grisly murders, ruthless politicians, or farting soldiers.

There is less drama and adventure than in the first book in the series, but it is intriguing to see how the authors will bring it all to a conclusion.