Part of Anderson's Roman series, which includes one other book (Pugnax the Gladiator) dealing with Catiline's conspiracy --Pugnax and the hero of this book, Tiberius Rufus, are originally gladiators together until Catiline purchases Tiberius to be the captain of his bodyguard. He and Pugnax are originally in Catiline's conspiracy but go over to Cicero's side. The books are basically pro--Cicero but show some sympathy for Catiline as a charismatic and in some ways honorable man, better than most of his fellow-conspirators. Anderson also did 3 books based on Julius Caesar's campaigns in Gaul and Britain. I liked all the books when young, but especially the two gladiator books. I remembered enough of them to hunt them down and buy them about 50 years after I first read them. I still enjoy them. ( )