Revenge
The main theme running throughout the book is the futility of revenge. Daniel is motivated by his anger at the deaths of his father and uncle, both of whom were crucified by the Romans. It is this anger that drives him to join the rebel forces and try to take back their land. However, he begins to also take his anger out on all Romans, assuming they are all the same, which causes friction with his sister, Leah.
Love
An underlying theme in the book is love, which is shown as both a sibling and romantic love. Daniel loves his younger sister Leah despite being separated from her for years, and he becomes her main provider. Leah herself is in love with a young Roman soldier, which causes distance with her brother. She is divided between her love towards her brother and the love she feels for the soldier.
Religion
Initially, Daniel seems to reject all forms of religion as it does not align with his brutal experiences. However, in the end, he realizes that there is only redemption through Christ. Having lost many men in the final battle, he knows that their deaths were not in vain but will instead be accounted for by God.
