Buried in The Histories of Herodotus is a single passage describing the Imperial Highway of the Persian Kings. Herodotus calls it the Royal Road. This ancient highway, built in the sixth century BC, has intrigued scholars for over a century, but because of the sparseness of Herodotus's description, the route of the Royal Road has remained a mystery. Chronicle's archaeological story follows American explorer Victor von Hagen on a two-year expedition through Turkey, Iraq and Iran to test the accuracy of Herodotus's account. By piecing together the clues of geography, anthropology and archaeology, VON HAGEN was able to solve the riddle of the Royal Road.