New evidence for annihilation of Ninth Legion in Britain?

[ParthianBow]

I came across this on our old favourite, Wikipedia, but it does list a real academic who's spoken about it, and lists a new text.

"Interestingly the tide of academic opinion seems to be returning to the view that the Legion was probably wiped out in Britain. In a recent book [6], Dr Miles Russell of Bournemouth University observes that there is strong evidence for a catastrophic British war resulting in the annhilation of the ninth early in the reign of Hadrian, possibly in AD 117 as the film suggests."

The book referred to is: [6] Miles Russell (2010) Bloodline: the Celtic Kings of Roman Britain

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_(film )

Seems like Miles Russell has written plenty of other texts:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bloodline-Celti ... 924&sr=8-1

Anyone read this book, or know anything more about the theory?

[Jona Lendering]

I have not read the book, but we are pretty certain that at least a subunit stayed in Nijmegen during the reign of Hadrian. However, this same unit, perhaps together with another, is also called "the British troops" (or something like that, no access to library here). These have been taken to be contemporary (i.e, referring to the same unit at the same time) but it may indeed be that the subunit abandoned the name VIIII Hispana and was renamed.

[Robert Vermaat]

I came across this on our old favourite, Wikipedia, but it does list a real academic who's spoken about it, and lists a new text.
"Interestingly the tide of academic opinion seems to be returning to the view that the Legion was probably wiped out in Britain. In a recent book [6], Dr Miles Russell of Bournemouth University observes that there is strong evidence for a catastrophic British war resulting in the annhilation of the ninth early in the reign of Hadrian, possibly in AD 117 as the film suggests."
The book referred to is: [6] Miles Russell (2010) Bloodline: the Celtic Kings of Roman Britain

I bet it's Mr Russell himself (or perhaps his publisher) who wrote that on Wiki. Russell's book is one in a series of recent books which take up a very old theme, namely that of Geoffrey of Monmouth. Old Geoff advocated the view that Britain was never conquered, but that British kings remained British nobles, and soon played first fiddle again in Roman Britain. Next we see British 'Roman' emperors at the head of 'British' armies, etc. etc.

Maybe there is some tide of academic opinion returning to a view that the British were more independent (culturally and politically) under Roman rule - a view that I do not share, btw - but so far I have not seen any evidence of any turning academic tide when it comes to the descruction of VIIII Hispana on British soil. Much less that 'strong evidence' quoted in that book!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I wonder if he was an advisor for the film?

[D B Campbell]

We're not quite on the lunatic fringe, but getting close. Dr Miles Russell is apparently an expert in Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and Dark Age archaeology, and his interests include "extra-terrestrial archaeology". :roll: I've seen his name linked with some other questionable theories, so his involvement with the "mystery Ninth Legion" does not surprise me.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

We're not quite on the lunatic fringe, but getting close. Dr Miles Russell is apparently an expert in Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and Dark Age archaeology, and his interests include "extra-terrestrial archaeology". :roll: I've seen his name linked with some other questionable theories, so his involvement with the "mystery Ninth Legion" does not surprise me.

Whew....the Mystery Ninth Legion!

There I was worried for nothing, I was thinking he was talking about the Real Ninth Hispana..... :roll:

[PhilusEstilius]

I think he is right and the secret lies in mid Cumbria.

[D B Campbell]

... a real academic ... Dr Miles Russell of Bournemouth University ...

That's odd. "PhD, Archaeology, 2000, Bournemouth University ..."? They seem to have omitted him from the List of Bournemouth PhD Theses. (And he's not in the UK Theses database, either. Must be an oversight.)

[Jona Lendering]

"extra-terrestrial archaeology"

Aha, the Ninth went extraterrestrial. That explains it all. Per aspera ad astra.

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I can see a typo maybe considering the length of the list.
I can also understand his interwst in extraterrestrial archaology, as a humerous sideline, perhaps?

[Q Rutilius]

Extraterrestial archeology sounds cool. You can expound all the crackpot theories you want,and no one can prove that you're wrong!

[D B Campbell]

You can expound all the crackpot theories you want,and no one can prove that you're wrong!

Which brings us back to the disappearance of the Ninth legion.

[PhilusEstilius]

Jona.

I think I would have said Per ardva ad astra, and if the clouds clear we may indeed see just where they went.

[M. Demetrius]

Which brings us back to the disappearance of the Ninth legion.

I haven't seen them anywhere, have you? They're like, invisible or something.

[Ross Cowan]

Another Wiki page, 'Massacre of the Ninth Legion', appeared (I think) over the weekend:

[url:2pvp1wm7]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massacre_of_the_Ninth_Legion[/url]

It concludes with the statement that "the ninth Legion was finally destroyed, almost certainly in Britain, early in the reign of the emperor Hadrian", and refers to Russell's book as the source. Wiki has imposed a ban on my ISP. Hopefully someone else will make a suitable correction to the page.

Cheers,

R