Old Friend Of Marcus's Uncle Aquilla example essay topic

Druids-Druids were the Celtic priests who often preached Holy War to the people of the northern tribes of Briton. The Druids would explain to the painted people that if they fought for the cause he preached of, they would be immediately sent to their "Heaven" if they were killed. Marcus and his legion feared the Druids because they spoke poison to the Celts, thus, making them fearless in battle. Mizzle-Mizzle is a word that the author of the book invented herself.

Mizzle is a weather condition that consists of mist and drizzle (almost like a fog). It was the mizzle that prevented Marcus and his legion from sending smoke signals to signal they needed help fending of the British attack on the wall. Queen Boudicca-Queen Boudicca was the wife of an Iceni King. She played an important role in the rebellion against the invading Romans. It is believed that she placed a curse on the Ninth legion before she and her daughters killed themselves.

She was known as Britons first heroine. Testudo Formation-Testudo Formation is a strategic defensive maneuver that prevented the advancing Roman soldiers from being either shot by arrows or being stabbed by a sword or plum. The soldiers would form a box shape and advance with their shields covering their heads and their bodies. The formation resembled a turtle's shell (testudo meaning turtle).

Marcus's legion used this technique when creating a way to the other side of the wall for the scouts who did know of the current battle. Saturnalia Games-The Saturnalia games was an event that took place at the Coliseum in Calleva. There, people would come and watch fights between men and animals. Most people came to see bloodletting and watching fights to the death.

The fights would normally be between slaves, but some were between slaves and crowd please rs (e.g. : The Fisher). Marcus and his Uncle Aquilla attended the event in reserved seats. It was there that Marcus saved Esca's life. Esca-Esca was a British born hunter and a very skilled hunter at that. He had also some fighting skills, so when he was later captured by the Romans, and made a slave, he became a gladiator. Marcus saved Esca's life by showing the "thumbs-up" signal at the games and later bought Esca and made him his personal body slave.

Later, Esca is given the choice to follow Marcus in the North and proudly does so. Esca is later given the same rights as a regular Roman citizen and his no longer a slave after him and Marcus returned the Eagle of the Ninth Legion. Claudias Hieronimianus-Claudias Hieronimianus was a Roman born soldier. He is the Legate of the Sixth Legion and is often involved with the senate. He is an old friend of Marcus's Uncle Aquilla who served with him in Judaea when Aquilla was First Cohort of the Fretensis and Claudias was a Tribune on the staff. Claudias is much younger then Aquilla.

He and Tribune Placid us came and visited Aquilla. Cottia-Cottia or Camella was a 13-year-old British girl who lived with her Aunt Nissan in Calleva. She lives with her because she could not find her mother and her father joined a legion and cannot mind his daughter. When Marcus is sent back home to stay with his Uncle Aquilla after his leg injury he meets Cottia.

Cottia is the name she was given at birth (the British name) and Camella is the Roman name she later adapted. Cradoc-Cradoc was a British hunter who befriended Marcus when he and his legion came and relieved the previously occupying soldiers. He and Marcus made a bet that if Marcus could control his horses on his chariot, on a course of his choosing, Cradoc would give him a one of his hunting spears, and if not Marcus would give Cradoc a fibula. Marcus of course won the wager and took his spear. But, Cradoc being British, was influenced by the Druid who preached Holy War, and later became Marcus's enemy.