"The Eagle of the Ninth" - Rosemary Sutcliff Quiz

Answer: Gaul

Marcus himself thinks of his home as being amongst the Etruscan hills but his men are from Gaul(modern-day France).He is a cohort commander, one of the middle ranks in the Roman army.

Answer: He proves himself by driving Cradoc's chariot horses successfully.

Cradoc's team of black horses are driven successfully by Marcus the first time he tries even though he is more used to the heavier Roman chariot. This appreciation of horses seems to bring the two men together in a way that defies their different racial and cultural backgrounds. But Cradoc is still one of the leaders of the rebellion.

Answer: They sent up smoke signals.

Unfortunately for Marcus the system of smoke signals could only work when the weather was clear and the British chose to attack when the countryside was covered in "mizzle" - a mixture of mist and drizzle.

Answer: Marcus deliberately leaps into the way of Cradoc's chariot.

The only way in which he can save his men and give them a chance of getting back inside the fort is to stop the chariot that threatens to mow them all down. He leaps up and manages to send the chariot horses into "instant chaos". In the ensuing crash his leg gets mangled.

Answer: He was huge.

Aquila's is Marcus's father's elder brother. Very soon Marcus learns to stop making comparisons in his mind between the two men and think only of Aquila as Aquila because of his formidable personality. Aquila is both lacking a scar and is bald. It is his enormous size rather than any fatness that makes an impression on Marcus.

Answer: He saves him from death after defeat in the arena.

Esca takes part in the traditional gladiatorial contest between the man with the trident and the fishnet and the man armed with a sword. On this occasion he is easily defeated and he waits for the trident man to finish him off. Marcus gets all the crowd to put their thumbs up and saves Esca from death.

Answer: His ear has been clipped.

Ear clipping was the most usual method in Britain. In order to live as a free man once again Esca would have to run away from all society whether Roman or British. The Romans would try to recapture him and he would feel ashamed to show his clipped ear to his own people.

Answer: Cub

Marcus realises that Esca has brought the cub as a possible pet to comfort him as he lies there trying to recover from his injury. He also knows that Esca has been treated badly by the Roman officer who was also on the hunt. Marcus tries to show that he regards Esca as something much more than property.

Answer: the colour of red Baltic amber

Cottia is a member of the Iceni tribe but her family have adapted completely to Roman ways. They even want Cottia to take on the Roman name of Camilla but she stands out against this as much as she can.

Answer: He is a surgeon who could operate on Marcus's leg wound.

The emergency treatment that Marcus received immediately after he suffered the injury now needs to be followed up by a fuller exploration of the wound.

Answer: The gold bracelet he won for his courage at Isca Dumnoniorum

Marcus knows that it would be unfair to make any promises to Cottia for it is unlikely that he will ever return. The gold bracelet would betray him as a Roman and so he cannot carry it. He also gives her Cub to look after whilst he is away.

Answer: Mithras, the light of the sun

It was not unusual for Roman army officers to belong to the cult of Mithras. There is a temple of Mithras which can be found near the line of the Roman Wall in Northumberland. The olive-wood bird was one of Marcus's most precious possessions.

Answer: Marcus overhears him singing a Roman marching song.

The song is "The Girl I left in Clusium" which Guern both whistles and sings. He claims that he learned it at a Roman camp but that he is not a deserter from the legion. However, Marcus notices the clear mark of the Roman helmet still on his face and Guern has to admit the truth.

Answer: The Feast of the New Spears

For a while Marcus and Esca try to avoid suspicion by delaying their journey to the south. The eagle is hidden because they know they will be under suspicion and searched. Unfortunately when he secretly returns for it Esca drops a ring-brooch that gives the game away. The story now becomes a flat-out race for Hadrian's Wall.

Answer: It is placed in a hiding place under Uncle Aquila's house.

The Roman authorities are glad that the eagle has lost its potential as a rallying point for the northern tribes to rebel. However, they want the whole story covered up and there is no possibility of the "lost legion" being reformed for there was too much scandal connected with what had happened to them. It is better off buried.