New evidence for annihilation of Ninth Legion in Britain?

[Nathan Ross]

Hadn’t seen the Victory coin issue for c. 119 AD

And in fact I'm not convinced that anyone else has either, after a bit of enquiry... The coin in question appears to be this one, apparently the first to show the image of Britannia, and dated to some time before Hadrian's arrival in Britain, possibly. Although there's no actual victory or 'imperator' acclamation on it, so the reason for its issue remains a bit of a mystery.

I am, therefore, still prepared to be convinced….one way or another!

Which is just about all anyone could say about it! As mentioned above, theories about the ninth will probably continue to be thrown around, until perhaps some new find casts a conclusive light on the matter. My favourite theory to date is the one proposed by Tom Stanier in the 1965 essay noted above (The Brigantes and the Ninth Legion, Phoenix 19, no.4), which is quite a masterpiece: Stanier suggests that the Brigantes, fed up with the bossy Romans, decamped en masse to the north - furthermore, the soldiers of the ninth legion, who by this time were very friendly with the charming Brigantian ladies, deserted in a body to go and live with them... Hadrian then built his wall and ditch to stop this sort of irregular conduct... :wink:

- Nathan