Rome Adventure

Rome is a city of fountains. As you wind your way down narrow lanes and through busy streets, you are sure to pass many a piazza graced with a fountain spread out before you. These unique works of architecture couple grandiose designs with the refreshing presence of cascading water. For those who have visited Rome, it may not surprise you to learn that there are in fact an impressive 280 fountains in the Eternal City. And the most famous of all is the Trevi Fountain.

Although a tiny city- state, the Vatican City boasts many cultural and religious gems in its small boundaries. It’s famous for being the smallest country in the world, at less than 50 hectares, or 120 acres. And its permanent population is less than 1000 people. But it is home to the Sistine Chapel, St Peter’s Basilica, ten museums and many lush gardens! And as the world centre of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican is a place of enormous interest to pilgrims and art lovers the world over.

Which Roman building has been used as a military fortress, a Christian church, and a fish and vegetable market during the course of its long life? The answer is the Pantheon, whose majestic columns and magnificent dome ensure its place as one of Rome’s most impressive architectural feats. Its ability to be transformed to suit different religions and cultures has ensured it has lasted for millennia.

The dome of St Peter’s Basilica is one of the most iconic images of Rome. The church attached to it drips with the splendour and marvels of a religion that has asserted world dominance over its two-thousand-year history. It is the largest Christian church on the planet. But perhaps even more than a beacon of Catholicism, St Peter’s Basilica is a monument to artistry and culture.

'The story I now commence is rich in vicissitudes, grim with warfare, torn by civil strife, a tale of horror even during times of peace.’ Tacitus, The Histories AD 68. The Emperor Nero’s erratic and bloody reign is in its death throes when Gaius Valerius Verrens is dispatched to Rome on a mission that will bring it to a close. With Nero dead, the city holds its breath and awaits the arrival his successor, Servius Sulpicius Galba, governor of Hispania. The Empire prays for peace, but it prays in vain.

Treason waits at the furthest reaches of Empire...When the deputy commander of Rome's Imperial Security Service is assassinated on the island of Rhodes, Cassius Corbulo swiftly finds himself embroiled in the investigation. Assisted once more by ex-gladiator bodyguard Indavara and servant Simo, his search for the truth is complicated by the involvement of the dead man's headstrong daughter, Annia.

Easy Rome Italian Phrasebook: Phrases & Vocabulary, by the author Angela Fausto offers an approach to effective communication. This simple book includes easy-to-view and learn phrases to have for your next trip. Most phrasebooks tell you a large amount of information that is too hard to understand. In this audio, you'll discover over 800 well-sorted phrases for your travels. This book will help you interact with locals. So grab your copy today. You'll be glad you did.

AD262 - the Imperium is in turmoil after the struggle for the throne. Furthermore, Ephesus, Asia's metropolis, lies in ruins, shattered by a mighty earthquake. Yet an even greater threat to the Empire advances from the North. The barbaric Goth tribes sail towards Ephesus, determined to pillage the city. Only Ballista, Warrior of Rome, knows the ways of the barbarians, and only he can defeat them.

Aurelian, Emperor of Rome, has one last enemy left to conquer: In Gaul, the usurper Tetricus holds sway, and Aurelian will need every last man if he is to unify his domain and bring peace to the Empire. One of those men is Cassius Corbulo, now seconded to the legion of Prefect Venator in southern Gaul. When a leading general is abducted on the eve of battle, Cassius is ordered to find and rescue him before the enemy gain crucial intelligence. As ever he is accompanied by attendant Simo and Indavara, the ex-gladiator bodyguard.

A lone figure stands silhouetted atop the Mausoleum of Hadrian. Behind him, the sun is setting over the centre of the known world. Far below, the river is in full flood. The City of Rome lies spread out before him on the far bank. Footsteps pound up the stairs. He's been set up. An enemy is closing in; he is cornered. He jumps.

In Ancient Rome, on the morning of his ninth birthday, young Martial Portius races against time to find his older brother Hershal. Unless Martial can deliver an important message to him, the forgetful Hershal will likely lose his job as a Roman courier. As Martial anxiously searches the crowded streets, he learns a good deal about the people, places, and customs of his native city. Moreover Martial, the son of a poor artisan, comes to understand the value of education as an important first step in his and Hershal's dreams of a better life.

Rome, AD 51: Vespasian brings Rome's greatest enemy before the emperor. After eight years of resistance, the British warrior Caratacus has been caught. But Agrippina, Emperor Claudius' wife, pardons Caratacus. Claudius is a drunken fool, and Narcissus and Pallas, his freedmen, are battling for control of his throne. Separately,they decide to send Vespasian east to Armenia to defend Rome's interests. Meanwhile the East is in turmoil.

As the years start running out, you often find that life has left you completely alone. This is what has happened to one military veteran who’s lived through many of history’s “flash points”. In order to inject some color into his final days, the former soldier signs a contract with a company that has developed a fully immersive virtual world. Project Alpha Rome is a multi-level city plagued by endless wars between humans and mutants. You can play as either species. The best argument in favor of living here is the firepower and the reflexes of your weapons.

AD 270. Rome has ruled Syria for over three centuries. But now the weakened empire faces a desperate threat: Queen Zenobia of Palmyra has turned her Roman-trained army against her former masters, and the once invincible legions have been crushed. Arabia, Palestine and Egypt have fallen, and now Antioch, Syria's capital, stands exposed. Cassius Corbulo is a young intelligence agent fresh from officer training. He has been assigned the menial task of rounding up wounded legionaries....

With the empire collapsing about him, Heraclius, the Exarch’s son, becomes the first Roman Emperor in 300 years to lead an army into battle. But this is no ordinary army: it is the Last Army, cobbled together from the bits and pieces that remain of once-great legions. Arrayed against him are the most formidable enemies Rome has ever faced: the Avar horde, the Sassanian Persian Empire intent on Rome’s annihilation, and the relentless plague that exploded under his predecessor Justinian and halved the Roman population.

Hraban the Marcomanni has never met his father Maroboodus, exiled in far-away Rome, but this is about to change. In the age of early Roman Empire, Augustus is creating his legacy with gladius as the legions begin the arduous work of subjecting the troublesome and divided Germani tribes. Such great, distant issues do not concern Hraban, a young man bent on becoming a spear lord, giver of rings, a warrior praised in the dark halls of his kin. He is the Raven, and son of great lords.

Rome, AD 41. Caligula has been assassinated and the Praetorian Guard have proclaimed Claudius Emperor – but his position is precarious. His three freedmen, Narcissus, Pallas and Callistus, must find a way to manufacture a quick victory – but how? Pallas has the answer: retrieve the Eagle of the Seventeenth, lost nearly 40 years before. Who but Vespasian could lead a dangerous mission into the gloomy forests of Germania?

Imperial agent Cassius Corbulo is about to go rogue. His bodyguard, Indavara, has been kidnapped and has seemingly vanished off the face of the earth. Having spent weeks trying to discover his fate, Cassius's time is up. But when an old ally's daughter is enslaved, he feels obliged to repay a long standing debt. Refusing the offer of a prestigious post, Cassius - and his Christian servant Simo - join nomadic chieftain Kabir and a trio of warriors, determined to rescue the missing girl.

AD 273. Obsessed by the solar religions of the east, the emperor Aurelian sets out to obtain every sacred object within his realm. But one - a mysterious rock said to channel the power of the sun god - lies beyond his reach. Warrior-priest Ilaha has captured the legendary stone and is using it to raise an army against Rome. For imperial agent Cassius Corbulo and ex-gladiator bodyguard Indavara, stopping him constitutes their greatest challenge yet.

With his compelling Centurions trilogy complete, Anthony Riches returns to his best-selling Empire sequence of novels with his storytelling skills polished to perfection. Set in the second century AD, The Scorpion's Strike continues the story of Marcus Aquila's fight for justice for a family ripped asunder by imperial assassins. Still seeking revenge, Marcus finds himself thrown back into the heart of the chaos that is shaking the Roman Empire to its roots.