In AD 9, three Roman legions marched into the forests of Germania and were destroyed. Their eagle standards, the most sacred symbols a legion possessed, were taken by the tribes. It was one of the worst defeats in Roman history, and it shaped the empire’s frontier for centuries.
Ben Kane’s Eagles of Rome series puts you in the ranks for that disaster and for the long, brutal campaigns that followed. This guide covers the full Eagles of Rome reading order by Ben Kane: the three core novels, the five shorter stories that surround them, the best order to read everything, and the real history behind the books.
If you like your Roman fiction told from the point of view of the men holding the shields, this is one of the best series in the genre.
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Quick Series Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Author | Ben Kane |
| Number of Books | 3 novels, plus 5 short stories and novellas |
| First Book | Eagles at War (2015) |
| Latest Novel | Eagles in the Storm (2017) |
| Latest Short Story | Io Saturnalia! (2023) |
| Setting | Germania and the Roman frontier, late first century BC to around AD 19 |
| Main Character | Centurion Lucius Cominius Tullus |
| Genre | Historical fiction, military |
| Series Status | Novel trilogy complete; short stories added occasionally |
Eagles of Rome Books in Publication Order
The core of the series is a trilogy, and it should be read in publication order. Eagles at War, Hunting the Eagles, and Eagles in the Storm tell one continuous story, and each follows directly from the last.
Around the trilogy, Ben Kane has written five shorter pieces: two short prequels published alongside the novels, and three longer “Tullus long short stories” published as ebooks after the trilogy was finished. These are listed separately below.
The Novels
1. Eagles at War (2015)
Setting: Germania, east of the Rhine, AD 9
Summary: East of the river Rhine, the tribes that Rome believes it has tamed are preparing a deadly ambush. Centurion Lucius Cominius Tullus, a tough and experienced officer of the Eighteenth Legion, serves under the governor Publius Quinctilius Varus, who trusts his German ally Arminius completely.
As Varus leads three legions through the forests on their way back to winter quarters, Tullus and his men march toward one of the most infamous events in Roman history: the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. The novel tells the story from both sides, following Tullus in the ranks and Arminius as he plots to unite the tribes against Rome.
2. Hunting the Eagles (2016)
Setting: Germania and the Rhine frontier, AD 14 to 15
Summary: Five years after the disaster in the forest, the Rhine frontier is still raw. A new commander, Germanicus, arrives with orders to strike back across the river, and Tullus is determined to be part of it. He is convinced that the lost eagle of his old legion is somewhere close at hand.
As Rome’s legions push deep into enemy territory, Arminius is waiting for them, and the war becomes a brutal game of revenge on both sides. Hunting the Eagles is a story of obsession, loyalty, and the long shadow of defeat.
3. Eagles in the Storm (2017)
Setting: Germania, AD 15 onwards
Summary: Tullus has had some success, but it is not enough. The eagle he wants most is still in enemy hands, and Arminius, devious and fearless, is raising new warriors from the tribes and burning for revenge of his own.
Germanicus leads a great campaign into Germania, and Tullus faces his most dangerous mission yet, amid bloodshed, treachery, and the brutal weather of the northern forests. Eagles in the Storm brings the trilogy to its conclusion.
The Short Stories and Novellas
4. The Shrine (2015)
Setting: The German frontier, spring 6 BC
Summary: A closely fought race, treachery in a back alley, and a visit to the shrine of an Egyptian goddess. Centurion Tullus places a bet on a foot race between rival soldiers in a frontier town, and sets off a chain of events as dangerous as any battle. A short prequel published just before Eagles at War.
5. The Arena (2016)
Setting: The German frontier, AD 12
Summary: It is payday on the frontier, and Legionary Marcus Piso is looking forward to wine, food, and an afternoon at the gladiator fights. But a crooked bet-maker and a fateful wager send his day in a direction he never expected. A short story bridging Eagles at War and Hunting the Eagles, told from the point of view of one of Tullus’s soldiers.
6. Eagles in the Wilderness (2019)
Setting: The Rhine frontier and the lands to the east, around AD 19
Summary: A “long short story” of about 110 pages, set a few years after Eagles in the Storm. Tullus takes a well-paid contract to lead the guards on an amber-trading expedition far beyond the empire’s borders, a journey that brings together old comrades and new recruits and leads them into danger. Read it after the trilogy.
7. Eagles in the East (2020)
Setting: Illyricum (modern Croatia), during the Pannonian revolt of AD 6 to 9
Summary: Before Germania, there was Illyricum. Tullus and his optio Fenestela are sent with a batch of raw recruits to a land in open rebellion, where they must turn conscripts into soldiers while dealing with an arrogant tribune and a fierce enemy. A prequel of about 90 pages, set just before Eagles at War.
8. Io Saturnalia! (2023)
Setting: Tullus’s youth, during the midwinter Saturnalia festival, before he joins the legions
Summary: Long before he was a hardened centurion, Tullus was a naive teenager. Sent to market to sell his father’s wine during the midwinter festival of Saturnalia, the young man meets a centurion who sets him on the path to a life in the army. At around 22,000 words, it is the earliest story in Tullus’s life.
Collected edition: The Shrine, The Arena, Eagles in the East, and Eagles in the Wilderness are also collected, together with other Ben Kane stories, in Sands of the Arena and Other Stories (2021).
Upcoming or Announced Books
The Eagles of Rome trilogy is complete, and no fourth novel has been announced. Ben Kane has, however, returned to Tullus several times since 2017 with self-published “long short stories,” most recently Io Saturnalia! in 2023, so further Tullus stories are always possible.
Kane’s recent novels have focused on other periods, including his Lionheart series about Richard I and his Clash of Empires books about Rome’s wars with Macedon.
Chronological Order vs Publication Order
The three novels are in chronological order. The short stories are scattered across Tullus’s life, so if you want to read everything in story order, it looks like this:
- Io Saturnalia! (Tullus’s youth, before he joins the army)
- The Shrine (6 BC)
- Eagles in the East (Pannonian revolt, AD 6 to 9)
- Eagles at War (AD 9)
- The Arena (AD 12)
- Hunting the Eagles (AD 14 to 15)
- Eagles in the Storm (AD 15 onwards)
- Eagles in the Wilderness (around AD 19)
Our recommendation: Read the three novels first, in order. They are the heart of the series and work perfectly on their own. Then read the short stories as a bonus, either in the chronological order above or in any order you like, but always save Eagles in the Wilderness until after Eagles in the Storm, since it is set after the trilogy.
If you like prequels, The Shrine and Eagles in the East make a good warm-up before Eagles at War, because they introduce Tullus and some of his men before the main story begins.
About the Eagles of Rome Series
Series Overview
The Eagles of Rome series covers the Roman war in Germania between AD 9 and the campaigns of Germanicus that followed. It begins with the destruction of three legions in the Teutoburg Forest and follows Rome’s attempts to take revenge and recover the lost eagles over the next several years.
It is a focused series. There are no sprawling timelines or huge casts of emperors. Instead, the story stays close to one centurion, his soldiers, and the enemy commander who became one of the most famous figures in German history.
The Main Characters
Lucius Cominius Tullus is a veteran centurion, respected by his men and feared by his enemies. He is gruff, principled, and fiercely protective of the soldiers under his command, and his obsession with the lost eagles drives the second and third books.
His opponent is Arminius, a German chieftain who served as an officer in the Roman army and knows its methods from the inside. Kane gives Arminius his own point-of-view chapters, which makes the trilogy a genuine duel between two capable, determined men. The supporting cast includes the governor Varus, the general Germanicus, Tullus’s optio Fenestela, the legionary Piso, and a group of soldiers whose friendships and rivalries give the books their heart.
Themes and Appeal
This is a series about soldiers: their loyalty to each other, their superstitions, their humor, and their fear. The eagle standard is the focus of that loyalty, and its loss is felt by every man who served under it.
It is also a series about revenge and what it costs. Both Tullus and Arminius want vengeance, and both are willing to pay a high price to get it.
Kane’s Approach
Ben Kane is known for his research. He has walked the routes of Roman roads and frontier lines, visited the battlefield sites and studied Roman military equipment in detail, often by wearing it. That research shows in the texture of the books: the weight of the armor, the drills, the marching camps, and the reality of fighting in a shield wall.
His battle scenes are intense and brutal, and he does not shy away from the violence of ancient warfare. Each novel ends with an author’s note separating the history from the fiction.
What Makes the Eagles of Rome Series Special
- One of Rome’s greatest disasters: The Teutoburg Forest is recreated with a visceral sense of what it felt like to be trapped there.
- Both sides of the war: Arminius’s chapters present the German perspective and portray him as far more than a simple villain.
- The view from the ranks: Tullus and his men give a grounded, soldier’s-eye view of the Roman army at war.
- A tight, complete trilogy: Three novels, one arc, and a clear ending.
- Bonus stories: Five shorter pieces fill in Tullus’s early life, his earlier campaigns, and what came after.
- Deep research: Kane’s knowledge of Roman military life makes the details feel authentic.
Where to Start with Eagles of Rome
New to the Series?
Start here: Eagles at War
The first novel introduces Tullus, Arminius, and the world of the Rhine frontier, and it builds to the battle that the whole series grows out of. It is also a gripping read, even if you know exactly how the story ends.
Can You Start Elsewhere?
We strongly recommend starting with Eagles at War. The second and third books follow directly from it, and their emotional weight depends on what happens in the forest.
If you want a quick taste of Kane’s writing before committing to a full novel, The Shrine is a short, inexpensive prequel that introduces Tullus without giving anything away. Some editions of The Shrine also include a sample chapter from Eagles at War.
Do You Need the Short Stories?
No. The three novels are a complete story. The short stories are enjoyable extras for readers who want more of Tullus, but you will not miss anything important by skipping them.
About the Author: Ben Kane
Ben Kane was born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1970 and grew up in Kenya and Ireland. He trained as a veterinarian at University College Dublin and worked as a vet for years before turning to writing. His first novel, The Forgotten Legion (2008), was a bestseller and began a career that now spans many Sunday Times bestsellers and more than a million copies sold.
He wrote the Eagles of Rome trilogy between 2015 and 2017, after his Forgotten Legion, Hannibal, and Spartacus series. The Teutoburg Forest was a natural subject for him: he is fascinated by the Roman army, and he has often walked long stretches of Roman roads and frontiers in full legionary kit, including a Hadrian’s Wall charity walk in 2013.
Since finishing the trilogy, Kane has written about Rome’s wars with Macedon in Clash of Empires and The Falling Sword, and about Richard the Lionheart in Lionheart, Crusader, and King. He continues to return to Tullus in occasional short stories.
More by Ben Kane:
Historical Context: Rome, Germania, and the Lost Eagles
What Was Happening
By AD 9, Augustus had ruled Rome for almost four decades, and his armies had pushed the frontier beyond the Rhine into Germania. Rome treated the lands between the Rhine and the Elbe as a province in the making, and Publius Quinctilius Varus was sent to govern it and introduce Roman law and taxes.
Arminius, a prince of the Cherusci tribe, had served with the Roman army and held Roman citizenship. Varus trusted him. In September AD 9, Arminius led Varus and three legions, the Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth, into an ambush in difficult, forested country. Over several days, the Roman column was destroyed, and all three eagles were lost.
The Aftermath
The defeat shocked Rome. According to the historian Suetonius, Augustus would beat his head against a door and cry, “Quinctilius Varus, give me back my legions!” The numbers of the three lost legions were never used again.
From AD 14, Germanicus, the adopted son of the future emperor Tiberius, led major campaigns across the Rhine. His armies visited the site of the massacre and buried the dead, fought Arminius in several battles, and recovered two of the three lost eagles. The third was not recovered until the reign of Claudius, decades later. Rome never again tried to make Germania east of the Rhine a province, and the river became the long-term frontier of the empire.
Rediscovering the Battlefield
For centuries, nobody knew exactly where the battle had taken place. In 1987, a British army officer and amateur archaeologist named Tony Clunn found Roman coins near Kalkriese in Lower Saxony, and subsequent excavations have uncovered weapons, armor, and the remains of a turf wall built by the Germans to ambush the Romans. Kalkriese is now widely accepted as at least one of the battle’s sites, and there is a museum and park there today.
How Accurate Is the Series?
Kane follows the ancient sources, mainly Tacitus, Cassius Dio, and Velleius Paterculus, and the archaeology at Kalkriese closely. The main events, from the ambush to Germanicus’s campaigns, happen where and when the evidence suggests.
Tullus, Piso, Fenestela, and most of the Roman soldiers are fictional, while Varus, Arminius, and Germanicus are real. Kane fills gaps in the record with invention, especially in the Germanic chapters, where the sources are thin, and explains his choices in his author’s notes.
Learn more: Best Ancient Rome Historical Fiction and Ancient Rome Historical Fiction by Time Period
Similar Series You’ll Love
If you enjoyed Eagles of Rome, these series offer the same mix of Roman soldiers, frontier warfare, and gritty battle scenes.
1. Eagles of the Empire by Simon Scarrow
Simon Scarrow’s long-running series follows the centurion Macro and his young optio Cato from the invasion of Britain in AD 43 onwards. It begins about a generation after Tullus’s campaigns, and it has the same focus on friendship in the ranks, brutal combat, and life in the legions. With more than twenty books, it is the natural next step.
2. The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane
Kane’s first series follows a group of men swept up in the disaster at Carrhae in 53 BC and taken east, to the edges of the known world. It is more of an adventure story than Eagles of Rome, but it has the same research and the same sense of soldiers far from home. His Hannibal series is also worth exploring.
3. The Nero Trilogy by Conn Iggulden
Set a generation later, Conn Iggulden’s Nero Trilogy depicts the same Julio-Claudian empire from within the palace rather than on the battlefield. Germanicus’s family is central to it: his daughter Agrippina is Nero’s mother. It is the perfect contrast to the view from the ranks.
4. The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell’s Saxon Stories, which begin with The Last Kingdom, are set many centuries later, but no one writes shield-wall fighting better. Readers who love Tullus’s battles will find the same physical intensity and the same pleasure in a tough, loyal hero in Uhtred of Bebbanburg.
5. The Empire Series by Anthony Riches
Anthony Riches’ Empire series follows a young Roman officer hiding under a false name among the auxiliaries on Hadrian’s Wall in the second century AD, and later on other frontiers. It has the same gritty, soldier ‘s-eye view of the army, a strong band of comrades, and plenty of frontier warfare.
6. Warrior of Rome by Harry Sidebottom
Harry Sidebottom, a historian of the ancient world, sets his Warrior of Rome series in the crisis of the third century AD, following a barbarian-born officer in Roman service. Like Kane, he combines deep research with fast-moving action.
More recommendations: Best Ancient Rome Historical Fiction
Adaptations
The Eagles of Rome series has not been adapted for television or film, and no adaptation has been announced as of 2026.
The history behind it has been dramatized, though. The German Netflix series Barbarians (2020 to 2022) tells the story of Arminius and the Teutoburg Forest from the German perspective, with the Roman characters’ dialogue spoken in Latin. It makes an interesting companion to Eagles at War, as it presents the same events from Arminius’s perspective.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books are in the Eagles of Rome series?
There are three novels: Eagles at War (2015), Hunting the Eagles (2016), and Eagles in the Storm (2017). There are also five shorter stories: The Shrine, The Arena, Eagles in the Wilderness, Eagles in the East, and Io Saturnalia!.
What is the correct reading order for Eagles of Rome?
Read the three novels in order: Eagles at War, Hunting the Eagles, and Eagles in the Storm. Add the short stories afterward or slot them in by chronology, but always read Eagles in the Wilderness after Eagles in the Storm.
Is Eagles of Rome a trilogy?
Yes. The main story is a trilogy of three novels, and it is complete. The shorter stories are optional extras that expand Tullus’s life before and after the trilogy.
Are Eagles in the Wilderness and Eagles in the East full novels?
No. They are “long short stories” or novellas of around 90 to 110 pages, published as ebooks. They are also collected in Sands of the Arena and Other Stories (2021).
Do I need to read the Eagles of Rome books in order?
Yes, for the three novels. They tell one continuous story, and each book follows directly from the one before. The short stories can be read in any order, as long as Eagles in the Wilderness comes after the trilogy.
What is the Eagles of Rome series about?
It follows the Roman centurion Lucius Cominius Tullus through the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in AD 9, when three legions were destroyed in Germania, and the campaigns that followed, as Rome tried to take revenge and recover its lost eagle standards.
Is Eagles of Rome historically accurate?
The main events follow the ancient sources and the archaeology at Kalkriese closely. Tullus and most of the soldiers are fictional, while Varus, Arminius, and Germanicus are real historical figures. Kane explains his changes in an author’s note in each book.
What was the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest?
It was an ambush in September AD 9, in which Germanic tribes led by Arminius destroyed three Roman legions under the command of Publius Quinctilius Varus. It was one of the worst defeats in Roman history and helped fix the Rhine as the empire’s frontier.
How long does it take to read the Eagles of Rome series?
Each novel runs roughly 400-450 pages, so the trilogy is around 1,300 pages. Most readers finish it in three to six weeks. The short stories add a few more evenings of reading.
Is Eagles of Rome suitable for young adults?
It is written for adults. There is graphic battlefield violence, torture and strong language. Older teenagers who enjoy military history may be fine, but it is not a young adult series.
Will there be more Eagles of Rome books?
No new novel has been announced. Ben Kane has written occasional Tullus short stories since the trilogy ended, most recently Io Saturnalia! in 2023, so more short fiction is possible.
Can I read Eagles of Rome on Kindle or as an audiobook?
Yes. The three novels are available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. The shorter stories are mainly available as ebooks, and several are collected in print in Sands of the Arena and Other Stories.
Has Eagles of Rome been adapted for TV?
No. However, the Netflix series Barbarians (2020 to 2022) dramatizes the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest from the German side and is a good companion to the books.
What should I read after Eagles of Rome?
Simon Scarrow’s Eagles of the Empire is the natural next step, following Roman soldiers from AD 43. For more Kane, try his Forgotten Legion or Hannibal series, and for the imperial family of the same era, Conn Iggulden’s Nero Trilogy.
Conclusion: Your Eagles of Rome Reading Journey
Ben Kane’s Eagles of Rome series takes one of the most dramatic moments in Roman history and makes it personal. Through Tullus and his men, you feel the shock of the Teutoburg Forest, the hunger for revenge that followed, and the long, hard campaigns across the Rhine.
With a tight trilogy at its heart and five shorter stories around it, it is a series you can finish in a few weeks and then keep coming back to.
Ready to begin? Start with Eagles at War and march with the Eighteenth Legion into the forests of Germania. With three novels of battle, loyalty, and vengeance, you have a gripping campaign ahead.
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