For fans of Simon Scarrow's Eagles of the Empire, Conn Iggulden, and the sweeping political drama of Rome, comes a visceral, 700-page historical epic of survival, war, and a forbidden romance that defies a Republic.

He is the son of Rome’s greatest hero. She is a Greek potter's daughter sold to a monster. This is their story.

Scipio Aemilianus carries a legendary family name, but he actively shirks the tedious political duties expected of a young patrician. Instead, he spends his days reading books and nights shedding his noble identity to fight bare-knuckle in the gritty, violent fighting pits of the Subura—driven by the raw thrill of the brawl and the brutal training it provides.

Valeria is a survivor. A Greek servant forced into a brutal betrothal to satisfy the greed of a cruel merchant, she is trapped in a city that views her merely as property. When her path collides with the hardened young Roman, an undeniable and forbidden romance ignites—one that defies the rigid class divides of the Republic.

But saving Valeria will require more than just Scipio's fists. Led by his father, the revered General Paullus Aemilius, the entire family must wage a ruthless, private war in the lethal shadows of the slums of Rome. To protect her, they must take on the city's corrupt elites and the criminal "vultures" who seek to claim her, risking their own pristine legacy in the process.

Yet, before the dust can settle in the streets, the Republic plunges into a devastating conflict abroad. Drawn out of his peaceful retirement, Paullus must lead his sons—Scipio and Fabius—away and onto the blood-soaked plains of Pydna to face the unbreakable Macedonian phalanxes.

From the treacherous underworld of Rome to the brutal front lines of empire, We Were Romans is a sweeping, visceral epic. Combining a gripping, high-stakes romance with heart-pounding battlefield intensity, it explores the cost of power, the weight of legacy, and the lengths a family will go to protect their own.

Perfect for readers who love:

• Gritty, deeply researched Ancient Roman military history
• High-stakes, forbidden romance (Patrician & Greek servant)
• Sprawling, character-driven historical sagas
• Deep political intrigue, class divides, and family loyalty
• Epic shifts in setting, from underground fighting pits to massive battlefield clashes