The Antagonists (Gann novel)

The Antagonists is a 1971 historical novel by Ernest K. Gann about the siege of the Masada citadel in Israel by the 10th Legion of the Roman Empire in AD 73. The novel was adapted as a television miniseries, Masada, broadcast first in 1981. The two antagonists of the title are Eleazer ben Yair, leader of the Jewish Zealots who make a final stand on Masada; and the Roman general Flavius Silva.

A sequel, entitled The Triumph, was published in 1986.

Overview
The novel explores the themes of leadership and patriotism by comparing and contrasting the two protagonists/antagonists of the story. Little survives from history, so the account is heavily fictionalized.