The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Doyle, Arthur Conan, 1859-1930

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago" by Arthur Conan Doyle is a collection of historical fiction stories written in the early 20th century. The stories explore themes of Roman Britain, showcasing the struggles and tensions as the Roman legions withdraw and the internal and external conflicts of British tribes arise. The tales blend history with rich characterizations, allowing for powerful narratives that bring the distant past to life. The opening of "The Last of the Legions" introduces us to Pontus, the Roman viceroy of Britain, who faces the dire news of the Emperor's orders to withdraw all legions from the island due to growing threats from barbarian tribes. As he consults with Licinius Crassus, the head of the military, they reflect on the consequences of this abandonment for the Britons, who are left vulnerable to both internal and external strife. The British leaders-Celticus, Caradoc, and Regnus-plead to retain Roman protection, emphasizing their fears about a return to lawlessness. The narrative establishes a tense atmosphere, highlighting the complexity and consequence of the power dynamics at play, setting the stage for dramatic shifts to unfold as the Roman influence wanes. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Contents:

The last of the legions

The last galley

Through the veil

The coming of the Huns

The contest

The first cargo

An iconoclast

Giant Maximin

The red star

The silver mirror

The homecoming

A point of contact

The centurion.

Credits:

Produced by Chris Curnow, Joseph Cooper, Stephen Blundell and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net

Notes:

Reading ease score: 77.5 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2008-07-31