The Eagle of the Ninth is a historical novel written by Rosemary Sutcliff, first published in 1954. Set during Roman Britain, the book tells the story of a young Roman officer, Marcus Flavius Aquila, and his quest to recover the lost standard, the Eagle, of the Ninth Legion, which mysteriously vanished in the wilds of northern Britain. While The Eagle of the Ninth is a work of fiction, its historical accuracy has been widely discussed and praised for its attention to detail, but it also includes certain creative liberties.

Roman Britain and the Ninth Legion

The central premise of the novel—the disappearance of the Ninth Legion in the early 2nd century—is rooted in historical mystery, but the details surrounding it are not definitively known. The Ninth Legion, also known as Legio IX Hispana, is famously believed to have disappeared during its campaign in Britain in the early 2nd century AD. The Roman historian Tacitus briefly mentions the Legion’s disappearance in his Annals, but no definitive records survive to explain what happened to it.

The novel takes this historical gap and weaves a story around it. Sutcliff skillfully incorporates what is known about Roman military life, the structure of Roman legions, and Roman society in Britain. She accurately depicts Roman customs, terminology, and military organization, using her research to create a believable backdrop for the novel's events. shutdown123