What do we know of the ninth legion and why did it disappear. A list of the best roman legion movies ever made, ranked by movie fans with film trailers when available. Hollywood film the eagle on romes lost ninth legion. The list contains the best, new and most relevant roman empire movies ordered by relevance. Jeremy brock has adapted the screenplay from rosemary sutcliffs classic novel the eagle of the ninth. From then on the ninth legion would play a leading role in some of the great wars of antiquity. One of these was the hispania ix, or, ninth spanish legion called the ninth roman legion in the film.
The legendary ninth legion legio ix hispana the spanish legion was one of the oldest and most feared units in the roman army by the early 2nd century ad. Britain, 117 ad and the romans are struggling to contain the picts in caledonia. In fact, the last certain piece of evidence relating to the existence of the legion from anywhere in the roman empire comes from york where an. Now, marcus aquila, the son of the general who led the vanished legion, has commands a roman outpost in britain. The mysterious disappearance of the famous ninth legion has always sparked off the interest of historians. Top 10 ancient roman legions ancient history lists. Oct 12, 2018 as the brigantes inhabited the area surrounding eboracum, it is very probable there was interchange between the soldiers and the tribe. From campaigning in northern scotland to the persian gulf, these devastating battalions extended and cemented roman power. Enjoyable an adventure as it is, kevin macdonalds the eagle a free adaptation of rosemary sutcliffs classic childrens story the eagle of the ninth, in. Top 15 best rome movies you need to watch best roman movies.
It became one of romes most feared fighting units, and participated in every major roman conflict including the gallic wars, the civil war, and the fight between octavian and mark antony. The exact year of the disappearance is unknown although some histor. There are accounts of julius caesar establishing a ninth legion during his wars in gaul. The battle of camulodunum, also known as the massacre of the ninth legion, was the major military victory of the iceni and their allies over an organised roman army during the revolt of boudica against the roman occupation of britain. A splinter group of roman soldiers fight for their lives behind enemy lines after their legion is devastated in a guerrilla attack. From then on, it appears the ninth legion was sent to the roman frontier in pannonia, where it remained for much of the primary half of the first century ad. The eagle, a 2011 film that tells the story of a young roman officer searching to recover the lost roman eagle standard of his fathers legion in the northern part of britain which later became scotland. A movie happened to the ninth legion, and because people in the u.
This is the story of romes most mysterious vanished legion. We reveal how the loss of the ninth legion was a truly. The sequence loosely traces a family, of the roman empire and then of britain, who inherit an. If there are any great movies about roman legion you. The movies a reasonable timepasser, especially for those who really like watching roman era movies, but if you have to choose just one ninth legion film to ever watch, id tell you to choose. The last legion is a 2007 film directed by doug lefler. Centurion is directed by neil marshall who also wrote the screenplay. Among those discovered are some mentioning a legio ix, a ninth legion. It caught the imagination of an entire generation of readers with its tale of the ninth legion, destroyed in the mists of scotland. The nature of its disappearance in the early second century ad if it ever truly disappeared at all has sparked a wealth of interest from the media and academia, as a result it is now immortalised in thousands of words of print and rolls of film.
The legions of rome were the nucleus of romes military might for centuries. Attempting to relieve the besieged colonia of camulodunum colchester, essex, legionaries of the legio ix hispana led by quintus petillius cerialis, were attacked by a horde of british tribes. For awhile it was believed that this legion of men disappeared somewhere in northern britain under mysterious circumstances as if a legion of soldiers. With colin firth, ben kingsley, aishwarya rai bachchan, peter mullan. With anthony higgins, christian rodska, peter whitbread, patrick holt. It was stationed in britain following the roman invasion in 43 ad. It seems impossible that a whole legion of the roman army could disappear were talking about some 5,000 men. He is one of the stars of our collection and had the movie team contacted us he could well have been a film star as well. The eagle has fallen is an unravelling of that mystery. But the ninth legion wasnt the only lost legion out there. New research reveals that the socalled crack troops of rome were in fact guilty of crimes against fashion.
This is the first attested evidence for the existence of a ninth legion in the roman army. Adapted by jeremy brock from rosemary sutcliff s historical adventure novel the eagle of the ninth 1954, the film tells the story of a young roman officer attempting to recover the lost roman eagle standard of his fathers legion in scotland. Aug 28, 2010 new research reveals that the socalled crack troops of rome were in fact guilty of crimes against fashion. Most soldiers wore chain mail after the segmentata was dropped in the third century. The film uses the premise of the missing ninth legion still existing somewhere in britain at this time, a once popular idea among british historians. The last known, recorded activity of the 9 th legion in britain was the construction of a new and improved stone fortress in york in 108109 ad. Mar 16, 2011 in fact, the last certain piece of evidence relating to the existence of the legion from anywhere in the roman empire comes from york where an inscription, dating to ad 108, credits the ninth with. Legio ix hispana 9th legion spanish, also written legio nona hispana or legio viiii hispana, was a legion of the imperial roman army that existed from the 1st century bc until at least ad 120. A bbc dramatisation captivated a fresh generation in. The ninth legion was one of the toughest and most experienced legions in the entire roman empire. In romanruled britain, a young roman soldier endeavors to honor his fathers memory by finding his lost legions golden emblem.
The legion fought in hispania, gaul and greece and in 43. Mar 15, 2011 enjoyable an adventure as it is, kevin macdonalds the eagle a free adaptation of rosemary sutcliffs classic childrens story the eagle of the ninth, in which roman centurion marcus and his. At this time one of the roman legions went missing. The eagle has fallen one of the greatest mysteries of. Only the river danube separates the two mortal enemies. The ninth legion, based in york, britain were one of the best legions in the entire roman army. It is the first in a sequence of novels, followed by the silver branch, frontier wolf, the lantern bearers which won a carnegie medal, sword at sunset, dawn wind, sword song, and the shield ring. Sutcliff explains in her original introduction that eagle is based on the legendary disappearance of the roman ninth legion after marching to northern britain in response to a rising among caledonian tribes. The eagle movie official website buy now focus features. It was raised in spain in 65bc, hence its nickname, the hispanica, although it would soon include.
The legion fought in hispania, gaul and greece and in 43 ad almost certainly participated in the invasion of britain. Nov 26, 2010 but the ninth legion wasnt the only lost legion out there. Centurion, a 2010 british movie which centered on the supposed disappearance of the ninth legion in caledonia in ad 117. Could the rebellion of the scottish tribes have brought about its dissolution and led to the consolidation of a very strong border in the north, or is the explanation a totally different one, one in which the pictish tribes play a lesser part. The theory that it was destroyed in action north of hadrians wall around 117 was popularized by a 1954 novel but was somewhat discredited when tile. Raised by pompey in 65 bc, it had fought victorious campaigns across the empire, from gaul to africa, sicily to and spain and germania to britain. After that, the 9 th legion simply vanishes from the historical record. The massacre of the ninth legion refers to the defeat of a large vexillation of the legio ix hispana during the revolt against roman rule in britain launched by boudica, queen of the iceni of norfolk. Fassbender, sole survivor of a pictish raid on a roman frontier fort, marches north with general virilus west legendary ninth legion, under orders to wipe the picts from the face of the earth and destroy their leader gorlacon. The legion fought in various provinces of the late roman republic and early roman empire.
One nice touch in the movie is the contrast between the mediterranean style villas and gardens as compared to the animal skin. The tale of the ninth legion has now become the subject of a big screen movie, but what exactly happened to them continues to puzzle historians. Pierre brice, mariejose nat, georges marchal, amza pellea. A stamp of the ninth legion from the fortress at caerleon in wales. The eagle has fallen one of the greatest mysteries of the. For 2,000 years historians have debated the the fate of the ninth legion who were stationed in york, britain. The ninth legion hispana, the lost legion of rome that marched into the murky fog of history and into legend. Yet of these legions there was one whose end is shrouded in mystery. Its disappearance is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the world. Pompey had a ninth legion with him in hispania in 65 bc, and julius caesar inherited it as governor of cisalpine gaul in 58 bc.
In roman ruled britain, a young roman soldier endeavors to honor his fathers memory by finding his lost legion s golden emblem. The eagle movie clip open the gates by blockbusteruk. In 140 ad, the roman empire extends all the way to britain though its grasp is incomplete, as the rebellious tribes of caledonia todays scotland hold sway in the far north. The recommendation service has sorted out realistic, serious, epic, exciting, stylized and captivating films and tv shows about with roman empire, ancient rome, heroes, betrayal, state affairs, rivalry, violence, sword, murder and emperor plots mostly in drama, history and action genres shot in usa. Five historical clangers in kevin macdonalds the eagle.
Bravely leading his men, marcus fends off a major attack, but is severely wounded. Legio nona hispana ninth spanish legion was a roman legion which operated from the 1st century bc until mid2nd century ad. Its disappearance has become one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the roman empire. In the footsteps of the missing ninth legion hispana. So the hero and his slave head off to recapture it. Aug 28, 2011 one of these was the hispania ix, or, ninth spanish legion called the ninth roman legion in the film. But this is what seems to have happened to the ninth legion. A large vexillation of the legio ix hispana were destroyed by the rebels. As a hollywood film dramatises ancient tale, the 2,000 year riddle of romes lost ninth legion is solved at last. In britannia in, a young roman officer named marcus flavius aquila and his freed slave esca search for the ninth legions gold eagle standard, which vanished with the legion years earlier. And now dna tests may have found one of the most legendarily lost groups of roman soldiers in china. This movie was pure honor, fighting, courage, faithfulness, etc. The roman governor sends in their best army, the ninth legion. Rosemary sutcliff found her inspiration for the eagle of the ninth in two real stories of roman britain one, the legendary and somewhat historically disputed disappearance of the ninth legion after it was sent north of hadrians wall to battle the picts in 117 ad.
Oct 23, 2009 the last legion is a 2007 film directed by doug lefler. But there is more that the ninth was founded in hispania by pompei in 65 bc, a full seven years after the caesar theory. As the roman empire crumbles, young romulus augustus flees the city and embarks on a perilous voyage to britain to track down a legion of supporters. The dacian king decebalus knows that soon the vastly superior roman legions will cross the river and attack dacia. With channing tatum, jamie bell, donald sutherland, istvan goz. The eagle is a 2011 epic historical drama film set in roman britain directed by kevin macdonald, and starring channing tatum, jamie bell and donald sutherland. The ninth legion is depicted wielding gladius, short swords, lorica segmentatas and scarlet cloaks which the roman army did not wear by that period. King of scotland, is soon coming out with the eagle of the ninth, which also dramatizes the mysterious fate of the. The dacian kingdom lies at the eastern border of the roman empire.
With michael fassbender, dominic west, olga kurylenko, andreas wisniewski. Based on a novel, the film follows a roman centurion named marcus aquila who attempts to recover the lost eagle emblem of the ninth legion, which was lost when the legion disappeared while on a. In 1954, rosemary sutcliff published a novel about roman britain. He then recovers and heads north of hadrians wall to recover the eagle of the ninth legion which been lost with the destruction of the legion in battle years before. His father was the legate of the legion with the emblem the eagle of the legion being lost. The legion which disappeared from the history books and was lost without trace. The eagle of the ninth is one of sutcliffs earlier books, but may be her bestknown title. I saw the movie and found i liked stories of the last years of the roman occupation. Oct 15, 2018 among those discovered are some mentioning a legio ix, a ninth legion. Mystery surrounds the unexplained disappearance of 5000 roman soldiers 2000 years ago. Various theories surround the fate of the ninth, which vanished from roman records after ad 120. For awhile it was believed that this legion of men disappeared somewhere in northern britain under mysterious circumstances as if a legion of soldiers could disappear under mundane circumstances. This roman legion movie list is ordered by popularity, so only the greatest movies about the roman legion are at the top of the list. While attempting to relieve the besieged colonia of camulodunum colchester, essex.