Dramatis Personae
Ivo Bianchi: Young historian born in Milan.
Federica Dolfin: Venetian Aristocrat.
Meryem Mahjoub: Young Moroccan with residence in Venice.
Flavius Tullius: Centurion Roman in the 1st century BC, commander of a century.
Lucius Sallustius: Signifer (standard bearer) of the century.
Zhou Lian: (Lian Zhou) Chinese anthropologist.
Andrea Bembo: Venetian Merchant of the 16th Century
Cosimo Badoer: Young Venetian aristocrat, nephew of Bembo.
Tiziana Bembo Badoer: Sister of Andrea, mother of Cosimo
Pietro Badoer: father of Cosimo, husband of Tiziana.
Bahadur: Persian warrior in the service of Andrea Bembo.
Gerel: Woman of Mongolian origin.
Ganzorig: Head of a Mongol horde.
Enkhtuya: Daughter of Ganzorig.
Chingis: Mongolian villager
Zhou Fang: Father of Lian
Zhou Ai: Mother of Lian.
Zhou Bo: Brother of Lian.
Zhou Fen: Sister of Lian
Colonel Chang: Lian's hierarchical superior
Riccardo and Anna Bianchi: Ivo's parents.
Chiara and Matteo Bianchi: Brothers of Ivo.
Enrico Maria Confalone: Noble Neapolitan, Director of the Italian Fondazione per gli Studi Storici Superiori
Colonel Huang: Member of the secret services of the Chinese government.