Afranius Secundus Terrentius seems himself as the typical Roman historian with no interest in politics or the Imperial system. Having been born during the reign of the tyrannical Domitian, Afranius is more than skeptical of Imperial rule and the Imperial system. But when Emperor Antoninus Pius summons him to Rome to investigate a strange object that the African legion found, Afranius has no choice but to go. And the Centurion and his men acting as his escort make him more than a bit uneasy about the trip. When he reaches Rome and meets Antoninus, his views of the world are challenged and he's forced to rethink every thing he's ever believed about Rome and the world. And when he sees the strange object, he knows he's more than a mystery to solve. The more he tries to discover about the object, the more he's challenged. Is the strange object truly from this world? Is the object something from the very stars themselves?