The Zealot

The thrilling adventures of two Roman centurions continue as they’re called to stop a threat rising in the Empire’s eastern provinces.

Trouble is brewing on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire. The troops are in a deplorable state, while the corrupt behavior of their senior officers threatens to undermine the army’s control of the region. To restore competence of the men defending a vital fort, two experienced centurions are dispatched to Judea. On their arrival Cato and Macro discover that Bannus, a local tribesman, is fomenting rebellion among the followers of Jehoshua, who was crucified in Jerusalem some seventeen years earlier. As the local revolt grows, Rome’s longstanding enemy Parthia is poised to invade, Cato and Macro must stamp out corruption in the cohort before the Eastern provinces are lost forever . . .

Simon Scarrow’s Roman Legion series chronicling the adventures of centurions Cato and Macro has been met with near universal acclaim, drawing comparisons to the best of his contemporaries including Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, and Harry Sidebottom. A master of his craft, Simon Scarrow combines stunning historical detail with riveting battles and rich characters to bring the Roman Empire to life as never before.

Originally published in the UK as The Eagle in the Sand

Praise for Simon Scarrow’s Roman Legion series

“I really don’t need this kind of competition.” —Bernard Cornwell

“Scarrow manages to summon up all the glory and the gore that characterized life in the Roman legions. Outstanding . . . a new master of the genre.” —Booklist

“A combustible concoction of intrigue, treachery, and violence. . . . Scarrow’s combat is brutal and sanguinary; his imperial politics are almost as sharp.” —Publishers Weekly

“Scarrow again provides a vivid sense of history and believable scenes of maritime action. His righteous but flawed protagonists are winning heroes.” —Kirkus Reviews

“All the hallmarks of Bernard Cornwell at his best.” —Oxford Times