The Eagle Series is a military fiction series written by Simon Scarrow. The books describe the lives of two soldiers in the Roman army-Quintus Licinius Cato and Lucius Cornelius Macro. The first 5 books in the series are set in Roman Britain, between the years AD 42 and 44. "The Eagle's Prophecy" starts in Ancient Rome in AD 45, and "The Eagle in the Sand" is set in Judea.
There are 8 books in the series so far:
#"Under the Eagle" (2000)
#"The Eagle's Conquest" (2001)
#"When the Eagle Hunts" (2002)
#"The Eagle and the Wolves" (2003)
#"The Eagle's Prey" (2004)
#"The Eagle's Prophecy" (2005)
#"The Eagle in the Sand" (2006)
#"Centurion" (2008)
The Eagle Series centres around two main characters, who are both Roman soldiers. Macro, a veteran with nearly 15 years service with the Eagles has recently been appointed to the Centurionate. Cato is a young lad who grew up in the Imperial Palace, and at the start of the series joins the Eagles as Macro's Optio. The first book starts in AD 42. The books cover the experiences of the two soldiers, initially as experienced centurion and new optio, in wars in Gaul and the invasion of Britain by Claudius as part of the Legio II Augusta. The latest book "Eagle in the Sand" puts them in Judea as agents of the Emperor's secretary Tiberius Claudius Narcissus.
The publisher has announced the intention to cease using the word "Eagle" in the title of books in this series from the forthcoming "Centurion". The move is believed to be because the publisher wants to attract more new readers to the series.
It has recently been announced that an independent studio is to make 2x1 hour episodes of all the Eagle novels from "Under the Eagle" through to "The Eagle in the Sand".[cite web ] url=http://www.undertheeagle.co.uk/index.htm
title=Under the Eagle
date=2007-07-30Under the Eagle: (December 1, 2002) It is the year 42 AD, and Centurion Macro, battle-scarred and fearless, is in the heart of Germany with the Second Legion, the toughest in the Roman army. Cato, a new recruit and the newly appointed second-in-command to Macro, will have more to prove than most. In a bloody skirmish with local tribes, Cato gets his first chance to prove that he's more than a callow, privileged youth. As their next campaign takes them to a land of unparalleled barbarity - Britain - a special mission unfolds, thrusting Cato and Macro headlong into a conspiracy that threatens to topple the Emperor himself.]
Main Characters
Lucius Cornelius Macro
He is the epitome of a good soldier. He is dependable in a fight and does not question any orders given to him by a senior officer (except those given to him by Vitellius, for personal reasons). In "Under the Eagle" he is the centurion of the Sixth Century, of the Fourth Cohort, of the Second Legion. By the time of The Eagle in the Sand he has risen to become the prefect in charge of Fort Bushir in Judea, after a lot of fighting, a little good luck, more than a little bad luck, and a lot of interference from Narcissus.
Quintus Licinius Cato
When we first meet Cato in "Under the Eagle", he is a very tall, weak looking boy from the Imperial Palace, who has been made to join the army as part of the terms of his father's freedom. As he seems to be too weak to be in the army, many of the officers including Macro, place bets on how long it will be before he quits, or is killed. He is however, extremely determined and proves the officers wrong by being promoted to the rank of optio immediately (due to Narcissus) which causes the officers, and his fellow recruits to resent him further. Macro is extremely intrigued by Cato. He attains the rank of Centurion at the end of the book "When the Eagle Hunts".
References
