The Roman Centurion

Ceconi is a Roman centurion hardened by decades of service, a devoted follower of Mithras, and a loyal son of the Empire. When a powerful senator arranges his transfer to Judea—to spy on the ambitious Pontius Pilate, who owes his career to the emperor's scheming right-hand man Sejanus—Ceconi accepts without question. Duty is his calling. His service is his reward. In the dusty provinces of first-century Judea, reports circulate of a Nazarene preacher who draws crowds, claiming to work miracles. Ceconi has no patience for such stories; he has Zealots to suppress and a senator's political games to navigate. But then his beloved servant falls gravely ill. Every remedy fails. Every resource of Rome proves useless. What the battle-hardened soldier does next—and what he witnesses in return—will upend everything he thought he knew about power, faith, and what it means to truly command. A knowing reimagining of Matthew 8:9 and a celebrated moment at the Crucifixion, told with grace and authenticity by a writer who brings first-century Rome to vivid, credible life.