{"id":3615,"date":"2026-01-03T23:36:32","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T23:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/sean-wyatt-04-the-grecian-manifesto-dempsey-ernest\/"},"modified":"2026-01-03T23:36:32","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T23:36:32","slug":"sean-wyatt-04-the-grecian-manifesto-dempsey-ernest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epub-book.com\/download\/sean-wyatt-04-the-grecian-manifesto-dempsey-ernest\/","title":{"rendered":"Sean Wyatt 04 – The Grecian Manifesto – Dempsey, Ernest"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Book Preview<\/h3>\n
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Prologue<\/b><\/p>\n

Rome, 50 B.C.<\/b><\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A gust of wind whipped through Gaius Julius Caesar\u2019s
\nalready tousled hair as he stood on the deck of the ship. The long wooden boat
\nseemed almost empty, aside from the rows of oars and the single linen sail that
\nflapped in the coastal breeze. The only people who remained were the emperor
\nand his trusted general, Servius Galba. <\/p>\n

\u201cIs everyone off the ship?\u201d Caesar asked, uncertain if
\nthey were alone or not. He turned his head around to confirm it. <\/p>\n

The day was hot, and he\u2019d removed his helmet, holding it
\nat his side under his armpit. Even though it was late in the afternoon, the
\nbright sunlight seemed to superheat his armor. He wore the legion uniform he\u2019d
\ndonned so many times before, through battles, hardships, and scenarios mere
\nmortals could never imagine. Some of the metal plates bore the scars from those
\noccasions, a tribute to Gaius Julius Caesar\u2019s abilities as a skilled warrior,
\nand leader. <\/p>\n

\u201cYes, General. All the men have gone ashore for supplies
\nand to rest for the night,\u201d Servius answered. \u201cThey will return in the morning
\nto bring the ship the rest of the way home.\u201d <\/p>\n

Caesar had been a consul for nearly a decade, but his
\nfriend Servius still called him by his former military title. He didn\u2019t mind.
\nCaesar had adapted to the political arena out of necessity, but his natural
\ndomain was in the military field. \u201cExcellent,\u201d he said with a careful grin.
\n\u201cShow me the relic.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cRight this way, General.\u201d Servius extended his arm,
\npointing the way to the back of the boat. <\/p>\n

The galley was shorter than the trireme ships the Roman
\nnavy had originally used when the republic rose to power. Their more modern
\nboats were also lighter, more maneuverable, which helped them establish a
\nstrategic advantage over many seafaring nations. Caesar had served in the Roman
\nnavy for a short time, and he knew how important controlling the seas was to
\nthe country. Rome\u2019s naval power had struggled for decades to establish a strong
\npresence. The Carthaginians had mocked them at first, and beaten them on
\nseveral occasions. Rome, however, eventually did what it did so well. It
\nadapted. <\/p>\n

Now, the navy was as strong as any on the planet. Walking
\nacross the wooden planks of the ship\u2019s deck, Caesar was reminded of his days at
\nsea. He\u2019d been captured by pirates once and held for ransom. The story had
\nbecome the stuff of lore with his soldiers and fellow legionaries. When the
\npirates asked for a certain sum, he balked at the low amount they requested and
\ndemanded that the pirates ask for more. When the ransom was paid, Caesar warned
\nthem that he would be back and they would all pay dearly for their actions. <\/p>\n

The pirates scoffed at his threat, but he followed
\nthrough, capturing every single one and punishing them by slitting their
\nthroats before publicly crucifying them. <\/p>\n

Caesar hated thieves. And pirates were the worst of the
\nsort. Rome needed supplies from Africa and the Middle East, Greece, and Spain.
\nPirates threatened that supply line, therefore piracy would not be tolerated. <\/p>\n

Servius pulled back a red curtain near the back of the
\nboat where a small alcove provided shade from the late afternoon sun. That was
\nthe first time he laid eyes on it. The mechanism was unlike anything Caesar had
\never seen before. It was a complex combination of bronze gears, wheels, and
\nlevers, contained within a bronze box. It stood about two feet high and half
\nthat wide, with a depth of maybe eight inches. <\/p>\n

Caesar stepped through the curtain, and his friend let the
\ndrape fall, concealing them both within the small cabin. Servius stood just
\ninside the fabric, watching Caesar\u2019s reactions. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhere did you find it?\u201d Caesar asked, moving around
\nbehind the pedestal on which the relic stood. <\/p>\n

\u201cExactly where you predicted it would be, General. It had
\nbeen concealed in one of the ancient temples near the coast of Crete.\u201d Servius
\nseemed pleased to relay the information. <\/p>\n

With questioning eyes, Caesar looked up from his
\ninspection of the mechanism. \u201cI trust it wasn\u2019t too much trouble to acquire?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe searched for several days before finding the location.
\nOnce we found the temple, it was a matter of locating where it had been hidden.
\nAs I said, it was right where you predicted. Once we extracted the object, no
\none even noticed us taking it. I believe the locals had forgotten that it even
\nexisted, much less where it was hidden.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cExcellent.\u201d Caesar raised an eyebrow and smiled. He bent
\nhis knees to get a better look. <\/p>\n

Inscriptions adorned several gears, and more had been
\ncarved into the soft metal around the outside edge of the box. Caesar ran his
\nfinger along the grooves, his lips moving slowly as he read the ancient words. <\/p>\n

Servius seemed slightly perplexed. \u201cWe couldn\u2019t understand
\nwhat the words mean, General. It\u2019s old Greek, but everything is jumbled. None
\nof us could make sense of it.\u201d <\/p>\n

That was exactly what Caesar had hoped Servius would say.
\nHe\u2019d taken a risk sending others to retrieve so powerful a device, but he put
\nall his hopes in the fact that his men would simply obey and not ask too many
\nquestions. His assumptions had been correct, including the one that no one would
\nbe able to decipher the code written upon the bronze gears and its container. <\/p>\n

\u201cI beg your pardon, General, but what is that thing?\u201d
\nServius asked. The hardened commander\u2019s voice sounded like that of a confused
\nlittle boy when he spoke. <\/p>\n

Caesar straightened up and clasped his hands behind his
\nback. \u201cThis, Servius, is an ancient relic known as the Eye of Zeus. There are
\nonly three known to have been created in history.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cEye of Zeus?\u201d<\/p>\n

The great leader nodded. \u201cYes. One of its uses is as a
\nnavigational tool for sailors. It works by plotting your position and path with
\nthat of the stars.\u201d <\/p>\n

Servius seemed more confused than before. \u201cSo, you sent us
\non a secret mission to bring back a navigational device?\u201d<\/p>\n

Caesar nodded. \u201cIt can only be used at night, but with this
\nobject, our navies will be nearly unstoppable. We will be able to outmaneuver
\nany fleet in the world under the cover of darkness, and strike at will.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you say so, sir.\u201d <\/p>\n

Servius still wasn\u2019t convinced, which was exactly what
\nCaesar wanted. The real power of the mechanism was something he would have to
\nkeep secret from everyone, even his most trusted advisor. <\/p>\n

He had served with Servius Galba through the Gallic Wars,
\nand the man had been a good friend. However, Caesar knew Rome, and he knew its
\npolitics. Romans in the position of power had a constant tendency to seek more;
\na trait his friend Servius could easily acquire. <\/p>\n

Caesar had stumbled upon the existence of the ancient
\ndevice from some scrolls he\u2019d discovered after sacking a Greek village, a few
\nhours\u2019 ride outside of Athens. It was by mere chance that he\u2019d found the little
\nlibrary, hidden beneath a crumbling temple. He\u2019d never been a very religious
\nperson, finding that he had more influence on the things in his life than a
\nbunch of stone statues did. <\/p>\n

He remembered standing in the decrepit place of worship,
\nlooking around with cynical eyes. He had laughed at the forms of the Greek
\ndeities that occupied the space. They were no different from Roman gods; only
\nthe names gave them any degree of uniqueness. <\/p>\n

As he\u2019d stepped toward the front of the building, Caesar\u2019s
\neyes moved to the base of a statue at the front. It was the famed patron deity
\nof Greek culture. Zeus\u2019s long beard, flowing robe, and stern face still struck
\na chord of reverence, even for a nonbeliever. If there was a deity who had
\ncreated the world, Caesar thought that god must certainly look something like
\nthe image of Zeus. At the base of the statue, he had noticed a chunk of stone
\nhad been broken away. Out of curiosity, he\u2019d taken a closer look, only to find
\nthat the plinth was hollow and it appeared to contain something within. After a
\nfew minutes of hammering away at the sacred pedestal, Caesar had stumbled upon
\na small cavity filled with three tiny scrolls, stored in separate clay jars. <\/p>\n

Servius brought Caesar\u2019s mind back to the present. \u201cIf you
\nwon\u2019t be needing anything else, General, I will take my leave.\u201d <\/p>\n

Caesar\u2019s head twitched up. He waved a dismissive hand. \u201cOf
\ncourse, old friend. Go join the men. You\u2019ve done well.\u201d <\/p>\n

Servius snapped to attention for a moment before giving a
\nquick nod and disappearing through the curtains. When he was gone, Caesar\u2019s
\neyes returned to the little bronze box. He had already decided he would keep
\nthe truth about the Eye of Zeus to himself. He hadn\u2019t lied to his friend; the
\ndevice could be used to navigate the seas, and he would certainly use that to
\nhis advantage in the naval battles to come. However, Caesar knew the real power
\nbehind the relic, and he did not intend to let anyone else obtain that information.\n<\/p>\n

He ran his fingers along the outside of the metal case and
\nshifted one of the levers. The gears inside moved a little, rearranging the
\nsymbols and how they lined up with those on the exterior edge. Caesar took a
\nstep back from the relic and admired it. \u201cAn absolutely brilliant creation,\u201d he
\nwhispered to himself. \u201cTo think I have the power of a god at my fingertips.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The ship
\nwould reach the main harbor in less than two days. Once the mechanism arrived
\nin Rome, there would be no one on Earth who could stop him.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Read the full book by downloading it below.<\/p>\n

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