A Gambler in Rome, a Savior of Rome

In 1452, Leo, a modern‐day civil engineer, travels to the dying Eastern Roman city of Constantinople. Reborn as a debt‐burdened gambler, he faces the peril of having his wife seized by a usurer to settle his debts. He distills strong spirits to break foreign merchant monopolies and pays off his debts. Improving firearms and city defenses, he repels the Ottoman army with engineering wisdom, rising from the bottom to become the savior of Rome.