The novel provides a fictionalized account of the life and career of the famous Roman orator and statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero. It is narrated by Cicero's slave and personal secretary Tiro, recounting Cicero's rise to power and his quest for imperium (supreme power) in the Roman Republic.
The story follows Cicero's early years as a lawyer and senator, detailing his prosecution of the corrupt governor Gaius Verres and his rivalry with the renowned advocate Hortensius. It depicts the political maneuverings, corruption, and power struggles that characterized the final years of the Roman Republic, with Cicero navigating the ambitions of powerful figures like Pompey, Caesar, and Crassus.

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