Romans in China??

[Ken]

Interesting article in the Daily Telegraph today. A 'lost' Roman legion which fled to the East and settled in China after defeat by the Parthians in what is now Iran?


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1541421/Roman-descendants-found-in-China.html

[parthianbow]

Hi Ken. The article's actually from three years ago, but there is some new 'news' on the go too, concerning the Chinese authorities' search for more evidence.

Unfortunately, there are far more holes in the 'evidence' than actual information. Basically, you could drive about four dozen British war chariots abreast through the gap! Professor Dubs has a lot to answer for. Still, it makes for good news material, and it's also good background material for a novel (cf. my own The Forgotten Legion, named so because of the captives taken by the Parthians.)

[annis]

Valerio Massimo Manfredi had a play with this idea in his novel Empire of Dragons (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Empire-Dragons-Valerio-Massimo-Manfredi/dp/0330438263)- actually one of his better books IMO - it's not as stilted as some of his other work.

[Russ Whitfield]

When I was reading the first in the Forgotten Legion series, I thought that's where they were headed.

[parthianbow]

They were, Russ. In fact some of them may well be...who knows when I'll get to write about it, though!

[Russ Whitfield]

*lol* Good to know I wasn't totally off the mark!

Annis - I loved that Manfredi book. It was so over the top, but still - I love over the top, so alls well!

[Frigate]

I'm glad some people are writing about this - however loosey-goosey the history may be on the subject. And I've always thought this was a great novel just waiting to happen but hadn't really read anything except Munn's book which was a little disappointing. OK, fess time - I didn't get much past "go" in it. :o