The legend of the Roman Ninth Legion
Description
In 1954, the children鈥檚 novel 鈥楾he Eagle of the Ninth鈥 popularised the legend of the disappearance of the Roman Ninth Legion in Caledonia. Recent research has shown the Ninth was not defeated by Caledonian tribes but moved to fight in Germany. Most records we have from the time are Roman written accounts, but we have to question if these are reliable. Stories may have become twisted or exaggerated between an event happening in Caledonia and news reaching Rome.
Classroom Ideas
Students could research events which took place between the Caledonians and the Romans, and work in groups to create a local Roman newspaper. This could include the headline story as well as smaller stories. Students could even come up with Roman crosswords and cartoons for the newspaper. Once they are complete, the groups could trade their newspapers. Do the papers show balanced or one-sided views of the events in Caledonia? How do the Roman papers compare to a modern-day newspaper?
Romans
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