'Barbarians' is the name the Romans gave to those who lived beyond the frontiers of the Roman Empire--the peoples they considered 'uncivilized'. Most of the written sources concerning the barbarians come from the Romans too, and as such, need to be treated with caution. Only archeology allows us to see beyond Roman prejudices--and yet these records are often as difficult to interpret as historical ones. Expertly guiding the reader through such historiographical...

In this final installment of the trilogy, the Germanic warrior Atretes vows to move heaven and earth to find his son -- the baby he thought was dead --and take him back to Germania. Only one thing stands in his way: Rizpah, a Christian widow who has cared for the child since his birth. Atretes hadn't counted on Rizpah's fiery resistance to "her son" being taken away, nor is he prepared for the woman's strength and beauty. The two are caught in a...