Once upon a time there were born two twin boys to Emperor Marcus Aurelius and for reasons of dynasty the birth of twins was kept secret. One of the twins was supposed to be drowned at birth but fate intervenes and the kid is brought up in a good household and enters Rome's legions.

In 161 AD, twins were born to the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, and to prevent any future power struggles between the brothers, the emperor told Senator Tarrunio to kill one one of the twins. Instead of killing the child, he gave him to a peasant family to bring up as their own. They named their child, Lucius Crassus. Thirty years later the emperor died and Commodus, the second twin son took over the purple mantle. Commodus becomes a tyrant, who care's nothing of his people's needs. Instead he prefers to be in the arena fighting in the arena with the gladiators, so his corrupt friends take care of things for him. He also loses interest in his mistress Marcia when she tries to get him to consider the people of Rome's needs. Senator Tarrunio contacts the second twin, who has since grown up to be Centurion Lucius Crassus, the beloved of his men, and tells him of his hope that he opposes his despotic brother. Lucius is initially uninterested in his proposal, but when he sees how the people suffer, he accepts the challenge, together with his three friends, fellow centurions, Horatius, Pannuntius and Pompeius and follows the senator back to Rome.—bcarruthers-76500