The Titus Conspiracy - Murder in Ancient Rome

Step back in time 2000 years with Marcus Herectus, soldier of

270 AD

Rome has ruled Syria for over three centuries. But now the weakened empire faces a desperate threat: Queen Zenobia of Palmyra has turned her Roman-trained army against her former masters and the once invincible legions have been crushed. Arabia, Palestine and Egypt have fallen and now Antioch, Syria's capital, stands exposed.

Cassius Corbulo is a young intelligence agent fresh from officer training. He has been assigned the menial task of rounding up wounded legionaries but then urgent new orders arrive. He is the only ranking Roman officer left in the line of the Palmyran advance. He must take command of the fort of Alauran, the last stronghold still in Roman hands, and hold it against the enemy until reinforcements arrive.

What Cassius finds at Alauran would daunt the most seasoned veteran, let alone a nineteen year old with no experience of war. A mere scattering of divided and demoralised legionaries remain, backed up by some fractious Syrian auxiliaries and a drunken Praetorian Guardsman. With the Palmyrans just days away, Cassius must somehow find the discipline, resourcefulness and courage to organise the garrison, save Alauran and secure Rome's eastern frontier...

For nearly 2,000 years the secret of Rome’s missing Ninth Legion has been shrouded in mystery, its ultimate fate argued over by generations of historians. The loss of an entire Legion – numbering around 5000 men – has been spun variously from a catastrophic defeat to an almost supernatural “mass vanishing”.

“The Eagle Has Fallen” is an unravelling of that mystery. We reveal how the loss of the Ninth Legion was a truly catastrophic event: the devastating news was suppressed by Hadrian to safeguard his reign in a classic conspiracy cover up.

It was the first in a chain reaction of disasters which forced Rome to halt expansion and to create the largest frontier wall ever built in the Roman Empire. Written sources and new archaeology indicate where the Ninth met its end in the tribal lands of northern Britain.

Author Brian Young has spent some six years researching and writing about this incredible mystery.

Following on from two recent movies, “The Eagle” and “Centurion”, there is enormous fresh interest in the disappearance of the Ninth Legion. This is the story of Romes most mysterious vanished Legion.

The might of Rome was waning – the annihilation of the Ninth was the writing on the wall. This was the beginning of the end.

Now more than 150 years later, the emperor Marcus Aurelius, fully aware of the growing barbarian threat from the north, decides to implement his long-standing plan to again establish forts on the east side of the Rhine River.

The emperor appoints Marcus Livius Batallius as commander of the newly formed legion, VII FERRATA. His orders are to march into Germany, cross the Rhine and build two forts. The orders also read to engage a Germanic tribe, the Elani, whose reputation is most menacing of all tribes east of the Rhine.

With the Dumnonii defeat of the Second Legion the Celtic victory is complete. But Hywell, Cunomar and Valerius must still find the lost Eagle of the Second and prevent Rome from attempting another attack. To prevent further conflict the Emperor Nero must be overthrown and replaced by someone of their choosing.

Part of the Storycuts series.