River of gold - Anthony Riches

After
saving the emperor's life in Rome, Marcus and his comrades have been
sent across the sea to the wealthy, corrupt Greek metropolis of
Aegyptus, Alexandria.

An unknown enemy has slaughtered the garrison
of the Empire's last outpost before its border with the mysterious
kingdom of Kush.
Caravans can no longer reach the crucial Red Sea port
of Berenike, from which the riches of the East flow towards Rome.

The
Emperor's most trusted and most devious adviser has ordered Marcus's
commander Scaurus and his trusted officers to the south. With orders
that are tantamount to a suicide mission, and with only one slim hope of
success.

Can a small force of highly trained legionaries restore
the Empire's power in this remote desert no-man's-land, when faced by
the fanatical army of Kush's iron-fisted ruler?