''The Eagle's Prophecy'' is an

historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...

Simon Scarrow Simon Scarrow (born 3 October 1962) is a British author. Scarrow completed a master's degree at the University of East Anglia after working at the Inland Revenue, and then went into teaching as a lecturer, firstly at East Norfolk Sixth Form C ...

, published in 2005 and set in

Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...

Summary

During the 1st century AD, a pirate squadron under the command of Telemachus captures a Roman ship carrying a high-ranking Roman dignitary and his personal cargo, a set of scrolls. Realising the nature of the scrolls, Telemachus takes the dignitary prisoner and fires the vessel. Meanwhile, Centurions Cato and Macro are living in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, awaiting reassignment to the legions after being compelled to quit the army invading Britain. Narcissus, the Emperor's secretary and spymaster, recruits Cato and Macro for a dangerous assignment. Due to the suspicious conspiratorial nature of the events surrounding the death of their previous commander, Centurion Maximius, both their lives are forfeit should they refuse. Narcissus reassigns them to the Roman Imperial Navy, stationing them at Ravenna. Telemachus and his pirates are growing bolder and the navy is tasked with destroying them. However, the operation is merely a cover for Narcissus' real objective: the recovery of the scrolls, the nature of which is classified. During Cato and Macro's trip to Ravenna, they rescue a Greek merchant, Anobarbus, being tortured by brigands in the hills. Upon their arrival, it is revealed Narcissus has placed Tribune - now Prefect - Vitellius in command of the operation, souring relations with the two centurions. Furthermore, there is no love lost between Macro and the Imperial Marines; he reveals to Cato that his mother had run off with a marine twenty years before, abandoning him and his father, leaving him with a burning hatred for marines ever since. Macro and Cato strike up a friendship with Centurion Minicius, an aging auxiliary veteran who acquaints them with life at sea.

References

External links

* 2005 British novels Eagles of the Empire Novels set in the 1st century Headline Publishing Group books {{2000s-AncientRome-novel-stub