A collection of twelve historical short stories by the world famous British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories in 'The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago' revolves around the chapter of the fall of the Roman Empire.

Pontus, the Roman viceroy, sat in the atrium of his palatial villa by the Thames, and he looked with perplexity at the scroll of papyrus which he had just unrolled. Before him stood the messenger who had brought it, a swarthy little Italian, whose black eyes were glazed with want of sleep, and his olive features darker still from dust and sweat. The viceroy was looking fixedly at him, yet he saw him not, so full was his mind of this sudden and most unexpected order. To him it seemed as if the solid earth had given way beneath his feet. His life and the work of his life had come to irremediable ruin. "Very good," he said at last in a hard dry voice, "you can go." The man saluted and staggered out of the hall. A yellow-haired British major-domo came forward for orders. "Is the General there?" "He is waiting, your excellency." "Then show him in, and leave us together." A few minutes later Licinius Crassus, the head of the British military establishment, had joined his chief. He was a large, bearded man in a white civilian toga, hemmed with the Patrician purple. His rough, bold features, burned and seamed and lined with the long African wars, were shadowed with anxiety as he looked with questioning eyes at the drawn, haggard face of the viceroy. "I fear, your excellency, that you have had bad news from Rome." "The worst, Crassus. It is all over with Britain. It is a question whether even Gaul will be held."

"The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago" from Arthur Conan Doyle. Scottish physician and writer (1859-1930).

The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago is a volume collecting 13 short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle and first published in 1922. The stories covers various centuries from Antiquity to first millenary. 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.

ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

The Last of the Legions and Other Tales of Long Ago

13 stories 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. Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle KStJ, DL (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a Scottish physician and writer who is most noted for his fictional stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, which are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. He is also known for writing the fictional adventures of a second character he invented, Professor Challenger, and for popularising the mystery of the Mary Celeste.[1] He was a prolific writer whose other works include fantasy and science fiction stories, plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels.