Rome: The Eagle of the Twelfth by M.C. Scott Bantam Press
Imperial Rome and war are a powerful combination skilfully handled in this novel.
Set in the Middle East during the reign of the emperor Nero, it concerns the soldiers of the XIIth Legion, which has some of the toughest assignments and most humiliating defeats. It is told by an initially reluctant, 19-year-old conscript, Demalion of Macedonia, from a family of horse traders, who gradually becomes a competent and brave soldier dedicated to his companions and the legion's eagle standard, which symbolisesits identity.
After various adventures in the borderlands between the Roman and the Parthian empires, in what are now Syria, Armenia and Turkey, the legion loses its eagle to the Hebrews in Judea during their revolt against Rome. The book ends with a successful attempt by Demalion and two companions to enter Jerusalem in disguise and then go to desert caves to steal back the eagle.
Roman historian Tacitus recorded the loss of an eagle standard and implied that it was recovered, but without saying how, which left room for Scott to imagine what was done.
Demalion and his two companions comprise a Tricky Trio somewhat like the Dirty Dozen of film fame. One is Sebastos Abdel Pantera, an enigmatic spy from an earlier Scott novel set later than the events of this book. It is a series prequel.