Mark Antony's Heroes: How The Third Gallica Legion Saved An Apostle And Created An Emperor

"A tough, gritty chronicle of the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of soldiers who operate in both military and politically treacherous waters. . . . Interesting and well-written."
--Booklist

In Mark Antony's Heroes, the fourth installment in the author's seminal histories of the legions of ancient Rome, Stephen Dando-Collins paints a vivid portrait of the 3rd Gallica Legion from the unique vantage point of the soldiers. Drawing on classical texts, Dando-Collins tells the gripping story of a unit that made a name for itself under Mark Antony, only to watch its early glory fade and rise again.

Dreaded by friend and foe alike, they used their muscle to install Herod the Great and Caesar Vespasian on their thrones. They made Rome's enemies from one side of the empire to the other dread their legion's name. They were renowned as the fearless servants of two Mark Antonys, saving the skin of Cleopatra's lover and making possible the meteoric career of Mark Antony Primus.

By weaving together new information about the legionaries' lives with factual Roman military practices, Mark Antony's Heroes is a landmark in ancient military history.

This fourth book in Dando-Collins's definitive history of Rome's legions tells the story of Rome's 3rd Gallica Legion, which put Vespasian on the throne and saved the life of the Christian apostle Paul. Named for their leader, Mark Antony, these common Roman soldiers, through their gallantry on the battlefield, reshaped the Roman Empire and aided the spread of Christianity throughout Europe.