Tarzan searches for Erich von Harben, the son of an old missionary friend who has disappeared while exploring remote mountains. The trail leads to two rival cities whose inhabitants claim descent from ancient Romans, drawing both Tarzan and von Harben into arenas, political rivalry and escape attempts.
The search begins in the interwar world of missionaries, archaeology and African exploration before opening into Burroughs's fantasy of Roman colonies surviving in isolation. Ancient political forms, arena combat and rival cities are set against the modern expedition that discovers them, making the contrast between past and present the central fascination of the adventure.
The rival Roman-descended cities preserve institutions long after the historical empire has vanished, allowing Burroughs to imagine antiquity surviving in isolation rather than being recovered through archaeology. Tarzan enters as an outsider whose priorities are rescue and survival, while local factions treat him according to their own inherited conflicts. The adventure plays historical pastiche against modern exploration.
Louis L’Amour
97 books
Christopher Nicole
49 books
Colin Falconer
22 books