Metiochos, son of the Ancient Greek general Miltiades; a boy who was raised in Athens and whom fate was to make governor of a province in Persia and a favorite to the Great King Darius. As his story develops, Metiochos's relationship with his father and with Darius come into focus. His conflicting emotions reflect the greater conflict of two superior civilizations when they meet head on. The events of Metiochos's life, from his earliest days when he learned politics at the wily hands of Cleon to his later years when he married the niece of Darius and ruled peacefully over a a foreign land, seemed to lead him directly to the moment when he must make his final choice. Now the two armies, Athenian and Persian, face each other across the plain, the blazing heat of the Mediterranean sun reflecting on their shields and helmets. The horn sounds, the battle begins-and Metiochos rises to meet his fate.

Master storyteller Olivia Coolidge weaves an original tale around ancient figures, crafting an unforgettable story of the Battle of Marathon.