"Novels w/ a Roman legion in fantasy settings?" Topic

So, maybe 30-odd years ago i picked up a novel the barest outline of which I still remember as centering on a roman legion having somehow been cast into a fantasy setting. I could be mistaken -- it being that long ago -- but they were not alone in that some "Highlanders" and maybe a few often "ancient earthlings" were in the same boat (figuratively).

I have after some effort w/ my faulty Google-Fu discovered harry turtledove's four-book series of "Videssos." The thing is only reading a few sample pages on Amazon, and the Wiki page about the plot, a few things don;t jive with my memory. One being that the "legion" was now mounted as cavalry -- more like if the "Byzantines"(so-called) had not raised units of (eventually) Thematic cavalry but had INSTEAD converted the old imperial Roman legions like V Macedonica to horsemen, but still complete with their centurions, optios, structure of other ranks, etc. Or, it could have been "legions." It was 30-odd eyars ago! So maybe there was more then one "mounted legion" -- and in the plot-line it was just some few legionaries and their legate, with their centurions, that had somehow been "transported." In their new environment, they then used their training and know-how to help the "fantastical land" in which they found themselves raise "legions" with local material??

Anyone have any ideas? One thing I am quite certain is that these novels were NOT those of David Eddings' "Belgariad" series, after looking at those on Amazon. Appreciate any thoughts… Cheers!

Are you sure that it wasn't the Harry Turtledove Videssos series? In it the Romans from our Earth stay as an elite heavy infantry formation. The Videssians are organised as bow armed Thematic Cavalry (so there book 2 WRG 6th ed army lists) and there are Varangian and Norman equivalents too. Harry Turtledove has a doctorate in Byzantine History so I don't think much of the detail is wrong.

The link Jannisaries (Jerry Pournelle) feature a mounted legion as an opponent.

If your interested in this sort of thing Marc Alan Edelheit's books are based around a roman legion ending up in a fantasy world, although most are set years later when their original history isn't known by the main character. link

I'd also recommend the Belisarius series (Eric Flint), with Byzantines in an alternative time line fighting an Indian Empire (both have help in gaining technological advances).

Didn't Tarzan encounter Romans at one point as well?

Don't know about Tarzan but I'm sure Abbot and Costello did.
Quis est in primis

As well as the aforementioned Belisarius novels, David Drake wrote a few "Roman" novels or short stories:-
The Legions of Fire
Vettius and his Friends link

There is also David Drake's sci-fi series about aliens abducting a Roman Legion to fight for them, Ranks of Bronze.

link

The Misplaced Legion is the first Videsso series. The protagonist is a legate during Julius Caesars conquest of Gaul. He is sent with several cohorts and runs into a Gallic chieftain with war party. It's been a lng time since I read so the details are fuzzy. But this is the series that has the Legionaries in it.

The next series is set before the first I believe and the hero, Krispos, is basically Herculus fighting the Sassanids. It seems to me there was a third series but I don't see it on Amazon.

I think in the videsso series the Legionaries remain as foot troops at least in the first few books.

Jim Butcher's Alera series features the descendants of a Roman legion that found itself in a magic rich world.

I would recommend the following series.

link

It is fantasy in that Rome never fell into ruin and it is now 1218 AD and a Rome Legion is sent to North America where they meet up with Indians.

Very good and the 3rd book brings in the Mongols.