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The Eagle
Background Notes
I.
Roman Britain (Britannia)
a. Julius Caesar led the first Roman invasions of Britain in 55 BC and 54 BC
b. Britain was inhabited by the native Britons, who were Celtic
c. Britain was officially invaded and conquered by Rome in AD 43, during the reign of the emperor
Claudius.
d. Britain was important to Rome for its mines of gold, silver, lead and tin
e. Romans remained in Britain until around AD 410, when the last Roman troops were withdrawn from the
province
II.
The “Lost Legion”
a. Legio IX Hispana (The 9th Spanish Legion)
b. Served in Britain and other Roman provinces
c. Thought to have “disappeared” in Scotland around AD 117, but most scholars now think it was just reassigned.
III.
Hadrian’s Wall
a. Begun by the Emperor Hadrian in 122 AD
b. Stretched 73 miles across northern Britain, from coast
to coast
c. Served as the northern boundary of Rome’s territory in
Britain
d. Contained mile castles, watchtowers and “super forts”
along its length
IV.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
Roman Army facts
a. Size: varied throughout history, but about 25-35 legions of 5,000 men each.
Legions were divided into groups of 80 men called “centuries;” each century was headed up by a
“centurion.”
Soldiers in the legions were Roman citizens
Soldiers in the auxiliary units (cavalry, archers, etc.) were non-citizens
Men served for 25-year terms. Auxiliary members could gain Roman citizenship after their 25 years.
Soldiers performed many functions
i. military duty such as patrolling, fighting, training, etc.
ii. construction projects such as roads, forts, bridges, even cities (colonies)!
Soldiers could march from 15-20 miles a day, carrying up to 70 pounds of gear
Mithraism was a very popular religion among Roman soldiers. Its followers worshiped the Eastern god
Mithras. (You will see Marcus performing Mithraic rites in the movie.)
Many sites of Roman forts are now towns. In England, towns that end in –chester (from the Latin
“castra” for “camp”) were originally Roman forts: Manchester, Colchester, Winchester, etc.
Londinium (London) was also a major Roman town and administrative center of Britannia.
The movie The Eagle is based on the young adult novel The Eagle of the Ninth, by British author Rosemary Sutcliffe. There are also 2
sequels which follow the lives of Marcus Flavius Aquila’s descendants in Britain: The Silver Branch and The Lantern Bearers. I highly
recommend those books if you like history and adventure!
The Eagle
Background Notes
I.
Roman Britain (Britannia)
a. _______________led the first Roman invasions of Britain in _______________
b. Britain was inhabited by the native Britons, who were Celtic
c. Britain was officially invaded and conquered by Rome in _________ during the reign of the
_________________
d. Britain was important to Rome for its mines of _______________________________
e. Romans remained in Britain until around __________, when the last Roman troops were withdrawn from
the province
II.
The “Lost Legion”
a. Legio IX Hispana (The 9th Spanish Legion)
b. Served in _____________ and other Roman provinces
c. Thought to have “disappeared” in Scotland around ___________________, but most scholars now think
it was just re-assigned.
III.
Hadrian’s Wall
a. Begun by the _______________________________________
b. Stretched ___________________________________, from coast
to coast
c. Served as the _______________________of Rome’s territory in
Britain
d. Contained mile castles, watchtowers and “super forts”
along its length
IV.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
Roman Army facts
a. Size: varied throughout history, but about ___________________________
Legions were divided into _______________________________ each century was headed up by a
___________________________
Soldiers in the _________________ were ________________________
Soldiers in the _______________________ (cavalry, archers, etc.) ____________________
Men served for _______________ terms. Auxiliary members could gain Roman citizenship after their 25
years.
Soldiers performed many functions
i. military duty such as patrolling, fighting, training, etc.
ii. construction projects such as roads, forts, bridges, even cities (colonies)!
Soldiers could march from ___________________ carrying up to _______________ of gear
_________________was a very popular religion among Roman soldiers. Its followers worshiped the
___________________. (You will see Marcus performing Mithraic rites in the movie.)
Many sites of Roman forts are now towns. In England,
________________________________________________: Manchester, Colchester, Winchester, etc.
______________________ was also ___________________ and administrative center of Britannia.
The movie The Eagle is based on the young adult novel The Eagle of the Ninth, by British author Rosemary Sutcliffe. There are also 2
sequels which follow the lives of Marcus Flavius Aquila’s descendants in Britain: The Silver Branch and The Lantern Bearers. I highly
recommend all 3 of these books if you like history and adventure!