The last half century of the Western Roman Empire is retold through the eyes of its Empress, Galla Placida. The reader experiences her evolution from debutante to barbarian hostage, Goth Queen, Empress, exiled Augusta, regent and dowager. The story opens with the sacking of Rome by the Goths in 410 A.D. The morphology of Rome is detailed from the time of Hannibal through Romulus Augustulus' deposition marking the conclusive end of the Western Roman...