The Eagle of the Ninth.

[WotWotius]

'It is a "swords and sandals" epic featuring swashbuckling Celtic warriors and a disappearing Roman legion, set against the windswept backdrop of Hadrian's Wall.

 

Now, The Eagle of the Ninth, Rosemary Sutcliff's historical children's novel set in Roman Scotland, is to be made into a "Scottish Western" by the Oscar-winning director, Kevin Macdonald...'

 

Full story available here.

[Pertinax]

Alas , no-one seems to have a surviving copy of the BBC original.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397778/

[DecimusCaesar]

It sounds very interesting, and I have vague memories of reading Eagle of the Ninth when I was younger, so I'll be looking forward to this one. Still, it's a children's story and the director sort of makes out that the film will have an adult feel. I wonder how this will work out.

[Primus Pilus]

It's a shame that the myth of the total destruction of Legio VIIII Hispana at the hands of the Picts will continue, but at least it's more Roman historical awareness.

[Northern Neil]

Looking at the cast list and the characters they will be playing, it would seem that the basic elements of the story are being kept to. A movie in which the producer sees fit not to meddle with an already good story will indeed be a novelty in itself! I must say, when I read the book as a child I thought it had many of the ingredients of a western.

 

As Primus says, pity about the myth of both the disappearing legion and the Picts being so hard that not even the Romans could defeat them, especially as this is almost written as fact in the Independent article. Surprising, for a newspaper that usually knows better. But on the whole I am looking forward to the project - lets hope that they do not do brilliant reconstructions of Hadrians Wall forts, then put silly porticos at the gatehouses for effect, like they did in King Arthur. Good luck to them!

[WotWotius]

It's a shame that the myth of the total destruction of Legio VIIII Hispana at the hands of the Picts will continue, but at least it's more Roman historical awareness.

 

Yes, wasn't the Legio IX transferred to the East?

[Primus Pilus]

It's a shame that the myth of the total destruction of Legio VIIII Hispana at the hands of the Picts will continue, but at least it's more Roman historical awareness.

 

Yes, wasn't the Legio IX transferred to the East?

 

Yes, there is evidence of it's existence on the Danube and in the east. Jonah Lendering's article on Livius.org provides the admittedly scant detail.

 

I don't mean to suggest it's not possible that the legion suffered a defeat in northern Britannia/Caledonia, only that it was clearly not completely destroyed.

[Augustus Caesar]

Anyone wanting to know of the happenings to the Ninth Legion would do well to have a read of this page on the roman-britain.org site....

 

http://www.roman-britain.org/military/leg9hispana.htm

 

It lists a lot of the possible scenarios for the Ninth and also gives the facts about where they were based.

 

I hadn't actually realised that their inception may have been as Caesar's IX... to be disbanded and reformed more than once!! It's a very interesting read.

 

As for the making of a film... well, let's hope it's a good one. I really am a bit suspicious of American accents among the soldiery though!!! I've nothing against our big pals from over the pond (HURRAH they all shout!!) but it's a bit like a charva trying to talk Geordie or a person with a strong local accent like Welsh talking Cockney. Doesn't work!! And I've nothing against the Welsh either... but charva's? Well, who hasn't?

 

We'll never get any better than The Life of Brian!!!!