J. Clifton Slater

"Fresh hate is fuel," Alerio whispered. Groaning with agony from the pain in his tortured body, he struggled to get the tunic over his head. Reluctantly, Hektor handed him the armor and Senior Tribune Sisera added. "They wanted someone to die this night. I'm only fulfilling their wish." Outside...

When a military commander makes a bold move, it can fail, making the situation worse. Or, the tactic can succeed, but create lackluster results. Yet rarely, the outcome is so dramatic, it changes the complexion of an entire campaign. Cornelius Scipio marched his outnumbered Legions south, and in...

"You treated us like dirt then taught us to fight as a unit. That is the mark of a professional military officer," Metie stated. "Last night you became a spirit and walked among the soldiers. Now you leave sacrifices for their dead and thank your Goddess for sparing us. That is very priest like...

In the seven years since he crossed the Alps and began his war against the Roman Republic, Hannibal Barca stood unbeaten in battle. However, maintaining a large army was a costly proposition and the government of Carthage proved stingy with its coins. To intercept the supplies destined for...

"The opinions range from holy man to talented tactician," Marcus Flamma informed Alerio. "And extend all the way to you being a brutal killer or a full on drunk." "If it pleases you, I am all of those," Alerio replied. "Usually one at a time, but often I combine them." "See, you don't care what...

A clash of deities . . . "You claim to speak for the Sky Father. That must give you an amazing feeling of power," Alerio suggested. "But Priest of Jupiter, the Goddess Nenia speaks through me. And it is not a feeling of power. In fact, the voice of death creates a sensation of hopelessness."...

In war, there are no easy choices. The Second Punic War made gamblers of the Mediterranean world. Declare for Carthage or declare for Rome? The odds are 50/50 for life or death. Apollonides of Syracuse observed, "No city has ever had a brighter prospect of permanent security or a stronger chance...

Challenges, oaths, and prophecies Cornelius Scipio and Jace Kasia were passionate about their missions, but on a collision course. Unfortunately, one would have to lose for the other to accomplish his goal. As a staff officer, Tribune Cornelius Scipio had experienced more combat and defeat than...

Some skills need to remain relevant. Everybody starts at the bottom when they change careers. Alerio Sisera understood the concept. He even recognized the difference between being a military man who lived by the gladius and a politician who used a pen to craft agreements. But the theory went to...

Savage Birthright is the plight of Princes, usurpers, and those who inherit the burdens of powerful fathers. When extortion draws Alerio Sisera to an Illyrian capital, the Legion officer finds an old adversary who needs his help, a poison kiss from a masked woman during a street festival, and a...

The line of war elephants scattered the lightly armored Velites. In retreat, the skirmishers filtered through the Legion ranks. Not that it made a difference, but the First Maniple wore heavier armor and grasped bigger shields. But like the Velites, the Legionaries were no match for the enormous...

It only takes one player in the secrets, surrogates, and spies game to go rogue. Then greed exceeds rationality and Legionaries die. Welcome to the world of 265 BC When a patrol boat of butchered Legionaries washes up on a beach, Lance Corporal Alerio Sisera volunteers to be the scout for the...

In the capital of the Republic, politics and scandal are normal. When a powerful citizen conspires with outside forces, normal becomes treason. Welcome to the world of 266 BC. Lance Corporal Alerio Sisera is in transit to the southern Legion. When thugs from a protection racket grab his travel...

Three battles into the second war between Carthage and Rome, the Republic was reeling. Hannibal Barca moved through the countryside burning, looting, and attracting recruits and supplies from disgruntled city residents and tribesmen. Cornelius Scipio remained with the forward Legions, taking any...

"When this is over, you and I are going to have a short talk over a pair of long blades." The Senior Tribune did not care for Centurion Alerio Sisera and the feeling was mutual. Welcome to 259 B.C. By law, all debts must be paid by the Ides of March. For men like them, sharp steel was the only...

"I've heard Cretan archers are good bowmen but weak skirmishers," a Tribune offered. "It has something to do with the teeny, tiny shields they wear like jewelry on their left forearms." "They wear jewelry into combat," Tribune Scipio moaned. "What have I done?" Set in the desperate years of the...

Infantry tactics at a sea battle offer dangerous options. Run the boarding ramp into the tips of the enemy's blades. Or fall into the gap between warships. Welcome to 260 B.C. Death waits at both, but if you make it to the enemy's deck you have a fighting chance. With the sea, you are doomed by...

When a Legionary pushes the boundaries, he draws a crowd. Either to watch him collect a medal or collect lashes. And if it's really bad, an eighty-foot drop from Tarpeian Rock. Welcome to 261 B.C. There are anxious words to describe being in unfathomable trouble. A feeling of pressure, an...

The heart and life of a battle is the center of the combat line. A dark, throbbing, and terrifying place. A place where death prowls between enemy shields, waiting for sharp blades to carve out an advantage. Welcome to 262 B.C. A single Legion is rushed into combat to stop a fortified army. The...

The two Legionaries appeared to be locked in an embrace. They flew off the top of the slope. Their plunge, however, wasn't voluntary. They were pinned together by a long iron barb protruding through their stomachs. Welcome to 263 B.C. Between clashes of the Qart Hadasht Empire and the upstart...