The Devil's Brood

<p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Two stories in one: on the one hand the horrifying tale of the reign of terror of the sons of Constantine the Great; and on the other--of Julian an orphan prince shy and retiring a lover of nature and of books whom fate will one day raise to absolute power and whom posterity will call The Apostate.</strong></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>News of his father's sudden serious illness came too late. By the time Constantius summoned all the way from Syria but traveling with feverish haste finally arrived on the Bosphorus in early June the old emperor had been dead for two weeks. The embalmed corpse adorned with a glittering diadem and covered with a purple mantle rested in the palace's grandest hall on a tall golden catafalque surrounded by the quivering glow of a thousand oil lamps and watched over by the palace bodyguard in full armor. The highest military and civilian dignitaries of the Roman Empire adored it ceremonially observing all the requirements of court etiquette just as they had done during the ruler's lifetime. And slowly the entire population of Constantinople-that's what the former Byzantium was now called-filed past paying their last homage to the man who expanded the city raised it to the dignity of an imperial residence and gave it his name.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Constantius approached the catafalque ceremonially in mournful concentration. Driven by filial love he carefully lifted the purple cloak to take one last look at his father's face clad in a white penitential robe-the same in which the emperor was baptized a few days before his death. And at that moment the prince saw with astonishment that the dead man's hand was clutching a papyrus scroll. He took it out gently and unrolled it. He quickly ran his eyes over the words that Constantine had scratched out with his trembling hand as he sensed the approach of inevitable death. By this means he conveyed his last will and his most secret instructions:</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>I die poisoned by my brothers. Therefore I name only you my three sons as my heirs. At the same time I command you to avenge with my death inflicted on me so treacherously!</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The massacre began that night.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>This gorgeous troubling moving book is on the one hand the tale of the reign of Constantius a moral zero who could neither rule nor defend his country but who knew how to stay in power by murdering everyone who could ever possibly challenge him; terror purges false accusations show trials witch hunts; the story of the murder of Gallus slaughtered like a sacrificial lamb will put you out of commission for an afternoon; and of the coming of age of the sweet prince Julian the future Julian the Apostate.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>This book written in Krawczuk's signature breezy conversational and yet profound style is sure to delight the fan of antiquity in you.</span></p><p></p><p><strong style=background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1); color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Treat yourself to a thrilling beautiful delightful week; pick up your copy today.</strong></p>