Author: Vic Hurley
Publisher: Avon V2135 Year: 1965 Print: 4 Cover Price: $0.75
Condition: Near Fine
Genre: Fiction

Decius, the son of a captured Roman centurion, has been raised in the Parthian city of Carrhae after the Parthians decisive victory over the Romans at the Battle of Carrhae. Decius’s family has prospered throughout Decius’s youth to achieve relative prominence within the Parthian Empire. With Decius’s family and the Parthian Empire ever threatened by the specter of a renewed Roman invasion, Decius's father has trained him as a warrior archer since youth and instructed him in the tactics of war. Now a man, Decius joins the Parthian ranks as the Roman threat materializes. But when a chance encounter leads Decius to investigate the Parthian temple of the powerful and mysterious priests of Ahriman, he uncovers a dangerous secret that endangers his family from within the Parthian Empire as much as any Roman legion on the battlefield. His response to that secret sparks an adventure that will take him as far as Rome in the West and Cathay in the East.

Set in the period between 50 B.C. and 17 A.D., “The Parthian” is as much a historical study as it is an exciting saga. Vic Hurley’s vivid narrative provides a factual examination of various ancient cultures; from their military tactics and power structures to their religions, domestic roles and views of women. While “The Parthian” appeals both to readers seeking historical knowledge and those seeking a compelling story, it is an ideal novel for those seeking both.