Okay, what really happened to eagle standard of the Ninth Legion in Britannia? Well, in the movie “The Eagle” and Ms Sutcliff’s book The Eagle of the Ninth, it was taken by the Caledonii…or people of Caledonia or as we know it- Scotland. Well, maybe this is true….maybe not…no one is certain either way.
I learned that this legion originated possibly under Julius Caesar 9th legion and later was reconstituted by Octavian. Its first name was Trimphalis ’turning of the trivumvires’ in 43BC. Then, it was called the Macedonic during its presence in Phillippi. And due to its successes and long stay in Hispania/Spain, this legion garnered the title of Hispana. From there this legion went to Pannonia in 6AD. And then was ordered to Britannia in 46AD. (Parker, The Roman Legions) And for note: the Hispana’s symbols on its shield and standard were Neptune’s trireme with the addition of the bull (Parker)
The Hispana came to Britannia and was almost annihilated by Boudica’s warriors in 60AD. They were not present when the Rome defeated her. Their fort was in Lincoln/Lindum and then York/ Eboracum with Agricola . In 83AD Domitian drew troops from the Hispana for his campaigns in Germany. The soldiers were later returned to Britain in 122 AD to help deal with revolts along Hadrian’s Wall and was replaced by the VI Victrix.
Hummm, so maybe they did lose their eagle standard. But then… Peter Salway notes in his Oxford Illustrated History of Roman Britain that…
” Whether the VI/Sixth was brought specifically for the Wall project or as a replacement for the IX Hispana is not known. It is no longer thought that the unlucky Ninth disappeared from the army lists while still in Britain, whether destroyed or disbanded, since there is some evidence pointing to its continued existence beyond the present date and to its presence on the Rhine. Whether there was a short period when the legionary establishment was reduced to two legions depends on the date accepted for the transfer of the Ninth. There is even a possibility that the Ninth returned for a while, temporarily restoring the legionary garrison to four during the period when there was great pressure on military resources from the building programme on the Wall. It has been conjectured that it was eventually lost in the east, long after its final withdrawal from Britain.” (p127)
So maybe it didn’t lose its eagle standard and men after all….Now for the mixup of the military crests and the existence of stirrups????? Come on Hollywood, you can do better research than that. But hey, The Eagle is a great Roman movie and thank you Hollywood for bringing this period to life. I know I love it.
