+the shame of my esteemed and noble kinsmen gnaeus julius agricola is a story too often told in the
+taverns of rome for the entertainment of fools and cowards who never once left the safety of that
+great city the loss of the ixth legions standard in battle haunted him throughout his life and only
+his untimely death brought him relief and yet the full depth of his suffering is known only to a few
+and even i was not taken into his confidence until after his death the truth of the peril in which
+he placed the entire roman army was finally revealed to me in the paper she left to me in his will
+among them i found this despatch from sextus varus legatus of the ixth legion to gaius suetonius
+paul linus proconsul and governor of britannia describing the defeat of then in that camu lo donum
+at the writing of this message the iceni have successfully sacked the city including the temple of
+claudius where the procurators guard took their heroic final stand we were almost encircled by the
+enemy force who seemed possessed of the power to know our thoughts where we were strong they posted
+only holding forces where we were weak they attacked in strength and when reinforcements attempted
+to join us they were attacked on route we survivors owe our lives and our thanks to gnaeus julius
+agricola who in a time of great emergency recognised the strategy of the insurgent forces on our
+left flank and commanded our retreat with moments to spare due to this action the majority of our
+cavalry were saved along with the reserve forces all other frontline troops have been slaughtered
+and it is with great sadness and deepest anger i have to report that the ixth legion lost its aquila
+to the enemy i fear that if we are to save londinium and ver ulan ium from a similar fate we must
+find the strength to crush this rebellion if we fail then all of britannia is lost this much of
+agricola s story is widely known but the full truth must remain hidden for now and as remarked by my
+trusted slave and confidant tiro what better place to hide a book than among books
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