The disappearance of romes ninth legion has long baffled historians, but could a brutal ambush have been the event that forged the englandscotland border, asks archaeologist dr miles russell, of. Apr 23, 2010 it seems impossible that a whole legion of the roman army could disappear were talking about some 5,000 men. The last legion played with king arthurian legends, as well as the myth of the 9th legion, which. A list of the best roman legion movies ever made, ranked by movie fans with film trailers when available. The movie s 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. It is a classic period drama featuring ben kingsley gandhi and colin firth bridget jones diary, with ash as the only female lead. 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 neil marshalls film was overtly a bloody action picture, this is more clearly an actiontinged story of loyalty and class, as channing tatum plays the son of the ninth legions vanished. The ninth was formed in 65bc and fought in hispania and gaul before taking part in claudiuss invasion of britain in ad43. Its sudden disappearance from all records at the start of the second century ad has brought about various theories about its fate, including one that rosemary sutcliffe used for her famous novel, the eagle of the ninth. The eagle of the ninth by rosemary sutcliff is so much more than the usual riveting adventure story though it is most definitely that. But when the legion arrived in britain, queen boudiccas army decimated more than half of its 5,000 soldiers in a battle recorded by tacitus as the massacre of the ninth. It was raised in spain in 65bc, hence its nickname, the hispanica, although it would soon include.
It follows a disabled roman soldier discharged for his injuries, marcus aquila, and his quest to retrieve the lost eagle of the ninth legion, with the notentirelywilling help of his british slave, esca maccunoval. The eagle film, movie 2011 formerly titled the eagle of the ninth the eagle film movie is the title of the roman epic adventure film movie based on rosemary sutcliffs famous historical novel the eagle of the ninth. The ninth legion hispana, the lost legion of rome that marched into the murky fog of history and into legend. So the hero and his slave head off to recapture it. What do we know of the ninth legion and why did it disappear. 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 ninth legion was one of the toughest and most experienced legions in the entire roman empire. It caught the imagination of an entire generation of readers with its tale of the ninth legion, destroyed in the mists of scotland. Watch the ninth passenger 2018 full movie free online. Most soldiers wore chain mail after the segmentata was dropped in the third century. The eagle movie official website buy now focus features.
The ninth legion marched into the mists of northern britainand they. One of these was the hispania ix, or, ninth spanish legion called the ninth roman legion in the film. Young soviet army recruits are sent from a boot camp into the middle of the war in afghanistan. Faced with such betrayal, the only course of action is to reach the one legion still loyal to romethe ninth legion in britannia. Donald sutherland plays the uncle of aquila with wit and humor.
The eagle of the ninth is a novel for children first published in 1954 by oxford university press. 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. It is a more supernatural fate than the one depicted in centurion, although, unlike centurion, a film version of the eagle of the ninth is likely to have a. In this chilling horrorthriller, a midnight party cruise turns deadly as an evil ninth passenger slips on board and starts slaughtering the terrified college kids. Towards the end of the movie the few lost and surviving members of the legendary ninth legion unite to defend the eagle one last time using shields such as this against the seal people. His father was the legate of the legion with the emblem the eagle of the legion being lost. But this is what seems to have happened to the ninth legion.
The eagle of the ninth film the rosemary sutcliff archive. The eagle the eagle of the ninth in some markets is the 2011 film adaptation, directed by kevin macdonald, of rosemary sutcliffs 1954 novel the eagle of the ninth. The roman ninth legions mysterious loss lewrockwell. I found this film to be good solid entertainment about a fascinating time in british history.
In 140 ad, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire ninth legion in the mountains of scotland, young centurion marcus aquila tatum arrives from rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the ninth. The last legion played with king arthurian legends, as well as the myth of the 9th legion, which is where centurion comes in. As a hollywood film dramatises an ancient tale, the 2,000 year riddle of romes lost ninth legion is solved at last. It is the first of rosemary sutcliffs roman britain stories and the first of eight novels loosely connected by an heirloom signet ring. Sep 29, 2005 the film is based on a true story of the 9th company during the soviet invasion in afghanistan in the 1980s. The ninth legion is depicted wielding gladius, short swords, lorica segmentatas and scarlet cloaks which the roman army did not wear by that period. From then on the ninth legion would play a leading role in some of the great wars of antiquity. Their theory has been far more mundane the legion was, in fact, a victim of strategic transfer, swapping the cold expanse of northern england, for arid wastes in the middle east. Centurion is a 2010 british historical actionwar film directed by neil marshall, loosely based on the disappearance of the roman empires ninth legion in caledonia in the early second century ad. The striking tahar rahim plays the son of the tribal chief of the seal people who play a major role in the issue of whether the roman ninth legion regains its honor. Feb 11, 2011 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 film, entitled the last legion, will be shot in tunisia, capri and slovakia. Pdf the eagle of the ninth download full pdf book download.
It was adapted for radio by the bbc programme childrens hour shortly. 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. This movie poses that the ninth legion assimilated within the british isles and that romulus caesar united the remaining roman soldiers with the ninth to throw off the yokes of tyranny. For awhile it was believed that this legion of men disappeared somewhere in northern britain under mysterious circumstances as if a legion of soldiers. The last time we saw the romans in ancient britannia was in the last legion or the better known king arthur. 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. In 1954, rosemary sutcliff published a novel about roman britain. It is based on the 2002 novel of the same name by valerio massimo manfredi. Jamie bell and donald sutherland star in the mystery tale of what happened to the 5,000 men of the mighty ninth legion who disappeared in what. Of the three recent films about the ninth legion in britain that mysteriously disappeared in the second century, the last legion 2007 was the film i was most interested in watching because it took place just prior to the time of king arthur and was said to provide a link to the arthurian legend.
The eagle of the ninth is a historical adventure novel for children written by rosemary sutcliff and published in 1954. The eagle of the ninth is one of sutcliffs earlier books, but may be her bestknown title. In 140 ad twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire ninth legion in the mountains of scotland young centurion marcus aquila tatum arrives from rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father the commander of the ninth. The legion then helped maintain the roman empires grip of britain although it suffered a serious defeat during boudiccas rebellion in ad61. Hollywood film the eagle on romes lost ninth legion. Centurion, a 2010 british movie which centered on the supposed disappearance of the ninth legion in caledonia in ad 117. Watch the eagle 2011 full movie online video dailymotion. The film is set in the 2nd century ad and is about a young roman officers search to discover the truth about the disappearance of his. With colin firth, ben kingsley, aishwarya rai bachchan, peter mullan. The legion fought in various provinces of the late roman republic and early roman empire. Would you have thought clint eastwoods spaghetti western character to be true. The story is set in roman britain in the 2nd century ad, after the building of hadrians wall. Jamie bell and donald sutherland star in the mystery tale of what happened to the 5,000 men of the mighty ninth legion.
It is directed by academy award winner kevin macdonald and produced by duncan kenworthy. The last legion, 2007 film that uses the premise of the missing ninth legion still existing somewhere in britain, however it certainly was no longer in existence by the mid2nd century, long before this movie is set. 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. By patrick lynch legio ix hispania, or the spanish ninth legion, stamped its name in history when it apparently disappeared off the face of the earth in the 2nd century ad. Hollywood film the eagle on romes lost ninth legion solves the. The film stars michael fassbender, dominic west, and olga kurylenko. 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. Hollywood film the eagle on romes lost ninth legion solves. The ninth legion disappears from roman records from about 120 ad, and what happened to it is not known. Left to right channing tatum, mark strong and jamie bell in the forthcoming film, the eagle of the ninth, which tells a fictional story of what happened to the ninth legion. The eagle of the ninth the eagle of the ninth trilogy.
The disappearance of romes ninth legion has long baffled historians, but could a brutal ambush have been the event that forged the englandscotland. The historians have dissented, theorising that the ninth did not disappear in britain at all, arguing both book and film are wrong. Feb 27, 2011 the film is set in the 2nd century ad and is about a young roman officers search to discover the truth about the disappearance of his fathers legion in the north of britain and the recovery of. The question of what happened to the ninth legion is one of the great mysteries of history. The mystery of the ninth legion the british history podcast. 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. Aug 28, 2011 one of these was the hispania ix, or, ninth spanish legion called the ninth roman legion in the film. Kevin macdonald has a movie about that same legion coming out next year. The story revolves around young marcuss quest to retrieve the eagle standard of the ninth legion that was lost together with the ninth and marcuss legionary father during a. In the footsteps of the missing ninth legion hispana. This is the first attested evidence for the existence of a ninth legion in the roman army. 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.
Aug 08, 2011 i am absolutely loving your series but i am not able to download your most recent podcast, the mystery of the ninth legion, to my ipod, despite having booted and rebooted my computer, reconfiguring the ipod and opening, closing and reopening itunes. In britannia in, a young roman officer named marcus flavius aquila and his freed slave esca search for the ninth legion s gold eagle standard, which vanished with the legion years earlier. Regisseur kevin macdonald orientierte sich hier am. Mar 24, 2011 k evin macdonald has made a decent, forthright, if finally uninspired swordnsandal drama, based on rosemary sutcliffs 1954 childrens novel the eagle of the ninth.
It stars colin firth, ben kingsley, aishwarya rai, thomas brodiesangster, peter mullan, kevin mckidd, john hannah, and iain glen. 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. Its deep in thought and emotion, vibrantly vivid in character and setting, and rich with living history and with truths about life and people. With anthony higgins, christian rodska, peter whitbread, patrick holt. The eagle of the ninth was sutcliffs breakout novel and remains her bestknown work. Adapted by jeremy brock from rosemary sutcliffs 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. 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. 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. The mysterious disappearance of the famous ninth legion has always sparked off the interest of historians. The dramatic story of the annihilation of a whole legion inspired several fictional works including rosemary sutcliffs popular historical novel the eagle of the ninth published in 1954, the 2007 movie the last legion and even the tenth series of doctor who in 2017 in which an episode titled the eater of light featured the 9 th legion being. A ninth legion shield used in the channing tatum and jamie bell roman action movie the eagle. Among those discovered are some mentioning a legio ix a ninth legion.
In 120 ad, the warriors of the ninth roman legion marched into unconquered northern britainand disappeared. As they set off on their dangerous trek north in search of the last legion, romulus discovers a new father figure in his protector aurelius and together they embark on a new beginning. In the year ad 140, twenty years after the ninth legion disappeared in the north of britain, marcus flavius aquila, a young roman. In 140 ad, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire ninth legion in the mountains of scotland, young centurion marcus aquila channing tatum arrives from rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the ninth. A bbc dramatisation captivated a fresh generation in. A large vexillation of the legio ix hispana were destroyed by the rebels. Ninth legion shield prop store ultimate movie collectables. An ala notable childrens book, the eagle is the first in rosemary sutcliffs carnegie medalwinning roman britain trilogyand the basis for the film starring channing tatum, jamie bell, and donald sutherland. Mar 16, 2011 the disappearance of romes ninth legion has long baffled historians, but could a brutal ambush have been the event that forged the englandscotland border, asks archaeologist dr miles russell, of. Not only were 5,000 legionaries lives presumably forfeited, were told in the eagle, so too was the troops standard, a golden eagle that symbolized everything rome stood for.
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