De Reditu takes place in 415 AD- five years after the devestating sack of Rome by the Visigoths- and tells the true story of Claudio Rutilio Namaziano, the last great pagan poet of a declining Roman Empire. A nobleman frustrated by the dominance of Christianity (which he blames for Rome's troubles) and a failed love affair, Claudio embarks on a sea journey to his native Gaul in order to raise an army and bring glory back to the Empire.