Standard Bearer

Name: Standard Bearer
Rating: 2.5 (5 reviews)

by Richard Foreman Book 1 in the Sword of Rome series.

First published 2012

Amazon

2.5(5)

Britain in 55 BCE has halted Julius Caesar’s first invasion at the edge of the sea. Lucius Oppius, standard bearer of the Tenth Legion, distinguishes himself during the difficult landing and is chosen for a mission behind British lines. Accompanied by a native archer, he must find a Roman agent accused of recruiting island warriors for resistance in Gaul.

The assignment places Oppius between Caesar’s expectations and evidence that the supposed traitor’s motives are more complicated than reported. The novella combines the uncertainty of Rome’s first British expedition with espionage among communities that do not yet recognise Roman authority. Oppius’s courage wins attention, but service to Caesar begins to require judgement about which version of loyalty deserves obedience.