A Roman Legion Lost in China? -- Parts 1 & 2

Archnews UK ^ | January/February 2011 | Paddy Lambert

[SunkenCiv]

Roman, Ramen, a coincidence?!? I THINK NOT!!!! ;’) :”D

[SunkenCiv]

Yes, but at least the terrain is rugged. ;')

• The Edicts of King Ashoka

[MilicaBee]

Our family has long loved the Rosemary Sutcliff book, The Eagle of the Ninth (and its sequels). The movie The Eagle is fine if you don’t expect it to follow the book’s storyline. There is a Marcus Aquila, an Esca and an eagle. And some orcs. None of which fit the book’s descriptions. Hmmm, no orcs at all in the book.

The book’s dog and girl subplots were eliminated entirely.

My 14 year-old had the following comments about the movie’s inaccuracies in the portrayal of Roman tactics and sword technique: “No javelins, no bows and arrows, no cavalry; testudo should be formed inside fort or right at the gate; the use of swords in the movie was not thrust but Hollywood-style cutlass-swinging. In the book Marcus Aquila was in charge of six hundred soldiers, but in the film he came with about twenty. His cohort was supposed to relieve the one at the fort. The eagle didn’t look like that. No tattoos on any of the Britons.”

An older son commented, “I didn’t know the Romans got to Papua New Guinea.”

[mike70]

bfl