54 pages • 1 hour read
The Eagle of the Ninth
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Themes
Status, Identity, and Belonging in Occupied Territories
The Roman Empire constituted a complex amalgamation of cultures, languages, and national identities from across the thousands of square miles encompassing Roman territory. Roman armies themselves were conscripted and drafted from different parts of the empire, as evidenced by the fact that Marcus’s own legion is made up entirely of Gaulish recruits. In The Eagle of the Ninth, concrete examples of the ways in which identities were shaped under such circumstances are illustrated through the characters’ contrasting personalities and preferences. As the Roman presence in Britain has existed for approximately 80 years by the time the events in the novel take place, multiple generations have had to contend with and adapt to the changes associated with not just the Roman Army’s occupation and invasion, but also the establishment of homes and cities in Britain by Roman civilians moving there to set up governments, settle, and conduct business. The reactions of individuals and whether they embrace and integrate or reject and resist Roman influence are unique to each person and their relationships and circumstances, as well as their family histories.
The tribes in Britain were at war with one another for centuries before the Romans arrived, and though not as pronounced as their differences with Rome, differences did exist between them such that allegiances were not always guaranteed in collaborating against Rome. Intermarriage, and the potentially complicated familial relations as a result of these unions, is portrayed in Gruen’s relationship with his wife, Murna, which whom he shares an isolated life for fear that his affiliation with a Roman legion will be discovered, and in the erasure of Cottia’s identity as a daughter of the Iceni tribe through her aunt’s willing and forceful rejection of their native Briton culture in favor of her husband’s Roman one. Characters like Uncle Aquila retain many aspects of their Roman lifestyle but embrace the land and the people of Roman Britain, and many, like Marcus, choose to marry native Britons. The Ninth Legion itself was alternately referred to as the Ninth Hispania because so many of its initial recruits hailed from the Iberian Peninsula.
Roman diversity did not necessarily equate to tolerance and equality, and the customs of slavery and abusive treatment of the native populations were rampant. This violence is alluded to in Esca’s mother’s death at the hands of her own husband to avoid falling into Roman hands. Likewise, Esca embodies the plight of an enslaved Briton among Romans, forced to fight as a gladiator until Marcus, whose views diverge from those of many of his fellow Romans, rescues and later frees him.
Duty, Honor, Loyalty, and Legacy Between Fathers and Sons
Marcus’s relationship with his father, and the duty that he feels to his father’s legacy, is the driving force behind the novel. Roman military culture weighed heavily on the minds and hearts of those who served with the Roman Army, and the traditions, tactical approaches, and leadership doctrine that characterized this ancient fighting force persist into the 21st century, adopted by military forces throughout the world as an example of military excellence. Marcus is the product of a military family, and his allegiance to the Roman Army is rooted not only in the attachments he himself has developed to the legion in which he serves, but also to Roman military culture as a whole, one deeply entrenched in his personal family structure as well. Like Marcus, Esca is also the product of a social structure defined by its warrior culture. The scion of a military family and son of a chieftain killed by Romans, Esca only survived because he was not killed along with the remaining members of his tribe. These two sons have each clashed with enemies in Roman Britain just as their fathers did, and each survive where their fathers did not.
In planning out his military career, Marcus specifically requests to serve in Britain, hoping he will discover the fate of his father’s legion by returning to the place where they vanished. In choosing to be stationed in Britain, however, he automatically relegated himself to serving in an auxiliary unit, one far less likely to provide frequent occasions for battle, and the associated glory and advancement, that units more entrenched in regions prone to regular engagement might provide. When he arrives in Britain at the opening of the novel, it does not appear that Marcus has considered the fact that this choice of appointment might jeopardize his military career altogether.
Where Esca, like many of the tribes native to Britain, has yielded to the futility of resisting the might of Rome, especially in his enslaved status and isolation from anyone with whom he shares a common culture, Marcus maintains a sense of indignation that the native Britons have managed to best a Roman legion. This perception of the Britons’ ability to beat them is characteristic of views held by the Romans, who also did not expect the reception they received upon invading Britain. From the outset, they did not expect such skilled resistance, but further, they did not expect that, once subdued, certain regions would continue to mount rebellion, regardless of how devastatingly punitive the Roman response could be.
The Feast of New Spears is poignant in both its timing and its significance, underlining the theme of the strong ties between fathers and sons. Marcus views the eagle during the rite-of-passage ceremony in which fathers confer warrior status on young men of the tribe. Of all the possible religious rites for Marcus and Esca to be present for, the significance of this occasion has direct bearing on the personal factors driving Marcus’s quest. As fathers are conferring the birthright status of warrior upon their sons, Marcus’s father’s eagle is revealed at long last to his own son.
The Power of Religion, Mysticism, and Superstition
The great power of religion and belief to influence individuals and societies is on display throughout this story. Though the Romans generally allowed those they conquered to retain their own religious beliefs and practices, they were uncharacteristically intolerant of the Druids of Roman Britain. Not only were the Druids religious leaders of significant power and influence in their communities, but they also functioned as adjudicators and diviners, and their sway over the Britons was palpable. In the first chapter, the departing leader impresses upon Marcus their ability to effect action. Marcus, like many Romans, is perplexed by the enduring will to resist Roman rule despite the consequences of mounting rebellions, many of which are unsuccessful. As his deeper immersion into the cultures of the native tribes of Briton affords him greater opportunity to observe the role Druids play and the sacred positions they occupy, this exposure, in tandem with Esca’s candid personal explanations of their outlook, contributes to his understanding of their importance.
Marcus’s devotion to his own god, Mithras, likewise plays a role throughout the novel. It is to Mithras that he prays and makes sacrifices. Though the Romans did not believe in the same gods as the Britons did, the Romans did not hold the belief that only their gods carried legitimate power. The fear that the Romans held of the Druids was not just in their ability to rally the Britons to muster their courage and face overwhelming odds against the Roman legions, but in the magic that they possessed. Simply that a kind of magic was unfamiliar to the Romans did not render it ineffectual; rather, it was seen as more dangerous in that it was unknown and the extent of its influence incomprehensible.
The impact of the curse that warrior Queen Boudicca placed over the Ninth Legion illustrates the weight of the Britons’ magic on the Roman psyche and confirms the belief that the Romans were significantly intimidated and superstitious when it came to Celtic magic. Though not a Druid, Boudicca wielded enormous influence and sway over her vast number of followers, both warriors and noncombatants, as she led an uprising against the Romans. Romans and Britons alike believed her suicided compounded the power of the magic she conjured through this curse. Marcus recalls his own mother expressing concern and reservations about Marcus’s father commanding the Ninth, evidence that the shadow cast over the legion was broadly felt. The personality flaws of the men of the Ninth at the time of its dissolution may have directly contributed to the mutiny and dereliction of duty that served as the catalyst for its downfall, but the need to accept men so unsuitable for military service to begin with was predicated by the tarnish that Boudicca’s curse held for more desirable soldiers, who sought to serve elsewhere.
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