In the autumn of 253, Gallienus, a thirty-five-year-old Patrician and son of an important Roman senator, is unexpectedly appointed co-emperor by the Senate, along with his father, Valerian. The following spring Valerian takes much of the army east to contain an aggressive Persian king, placing Gallienus in command of the western half of the empire. With a significant portion of the army transferred to Syria, and a virulent plague sweeping through the entire empire, Gallienus is left with insufficient manpower to adequately defend Rome’s northern border from the North Sea to the Black Sea. \tRome has long relied on provincial governors to defend their assigned regions due to the empire’s size. Thus, Gallienus must share power with men strong enough to defend their provinces yet remain loyal to him. Unfortunately, he selects some men who prefer the title of emperor to that of governor or general. \tGallienus finds himself in the midst of a desperate struggle to defend the empire against numerous invading tribes and suppressing multiple civil wars that threaten his reign from within, sometimes simultaneously. When not on the battlefield, he is tempted by women willing to use any means available to advance their personal interests.