The Eagle of the Ninth

“The frontier tribes are not like those of the south coast, who were half Romanized before ever we landed; they are a wild lot, and superbly brave, but even they have mostly come to think that we are not fiends of darkness, […] But let one of their holy men lay hold of them and all that goes whistling down the wind. They cease to think whether there can be any good to come of their rising, cease to think at all.”

This warning, issued as parting advice to Marcus by the outgoing commander he is replacing at Isca Dumnoniorum, foreshadows the coming attack on the fort and introduces the reader to a significant aspect of native Briton culture, the emphasis of which is essential to appreciating the motives and values of those with whom Marcus will develop a complex relationship as the novel progresses. This sentiment of fear and mistrust of even those Britons who appear subdued by the Romans is pervasive among Roman citizens and soldiers alike and illustrates the collective awareness of the unpredictability and tenacity of their subjects.

“It all seemed very peaceful, and yet he was filled with an uneasy feeling that the peace was only a film […] and that underneath, something very different was stirring. Again he remembered Hilarion’s warning. For the collar of the old war spear had been lately renewed, and the heron’s feathers were still bright with the lustre of a living bird.”

Marcus proves himself to be a highly perceptive, attentive observer of his environment, and in this moment of reflection he has detected details worthy of his attention, a skill he will continue to develop as his future endeavors require it. This passage also reemphasizes the differences in attitude held by the Britons; between those who have accepted the Roman occupation and those who have offered uncompromising resistance, another adaptation exists: those who demonstrate cooperation yet await the opportunity to rebel.