The Tiber Bridge

Book excerpt: The Tiber Bridge tells the story of Ancus Marcius, Romes fourth king, a man of power and ability haunted by the ghosts of his past, and of Vel Prasanai, a cast-out Etruscan who becomes his bridge builder. Conflict between gods and mortals intensifies over the sacrilege of spanning the Tiber in this spellbinding tale of war, political rivalry, love, and ambition set in the fabled years of early Rome. The many accomplishments of legendary King Ancus remain tarnished and unrewarding, as he faces endless war, endures the enmity of his predecessors son, is thwarted by Romes pontifex, and suffers the cruel suspicions of his wife. Engineers, priests, vestal virgins, generals, queens, and a family of shepherds all play a part in this sweeping tale of courage and endurance in the shadow of the first bridge built in Rome.