Meanwhile, the four legions cut off in Egypt and led by Titus Norbanus, decide not to trust Marcus Scipio and head east into the desert, marching the long way home along the Eastern edge of the Mediterranean to get back to Rome.

Encountering the doddering remnants of the Seleucid Empire, the divided kingdoms of the Jews, the rapidly ascendant Parthians, and annihilating the pirates of Cilicia, Titus Norbanus makes a strong impression on the Eastern Mediterranean of the power of Rome.

Accumulating vast amounts of wealth and prestige, the men under the command of Norbanus find their loyalties shifting from the Senate of Rome to the man who made them rich beyond measure.

Keeping a wary eye on the luck-filled fortunes of his rival Titus Norbanus, Marcus and his lover Selene prepare the Egyptian military to counterattack Carthage with heavy investments in new inventions made at the Library of Alexandria, including light clipper ships, razor-backed bronze submarines, heavy water-borne rams, trebuchets, telescopes, and wide wings allowing for a degree of human flight.

In a fierce and brutal exchange, Mastanabal manages to achieve a Pyrrhic victory, smashing two legions at the expense of shredding his army's effectiveness.