A gladius is a short sword. A prodigy is a talented youth. Put them together and people die Welcome to 271 BC This is not the full-time professional Legion of Imperial Rome. This is the levied Legion of the mid-Republic and it is messy. If you like Roman adventure and 3rd Century military historical fiction, you will love the Clay Warrior Stories series. Going further than historical fiction, the Clay Warrior Stories are adventure books designed to make you want to strap on a shield, draw a gladius, and join a Legion battle line. Set in the years before and during the 1st Punic War, the series follows the exploits of a young, hot-headed swordsman. From a lad on his father's farm, to a Legion training camp, to the Capital of the Republic, Alerio Sisera learns that sharp steel and quick reflexes are not always a Legionary's best assets.