Britannia

Yet again, our Latin class reads Julius Caesar's account of his invasion of Britannia. When the soldiers hesitate to jump from the ships into deep water while weighed down by heavy armor, the standard bearer gives a lead. Shouting that he at least will do his duty to the republic and to his commander (imperator, later to mean "Emperor"), he jumps down and runs among the enemy. The men have no choice but to follow since loss of their standard is the greatest disgrace for any legion. Here is a hero worthy of later works of fiction.

Caesar's account prefigures:

Poul and Karen Anderson's Gratillonius, a British Roman Centurion;
Time Patrolman Manse Everard's mission to post-Roman Britain;
the immortal Hanno's encounter with the post-Roman warlord Artorius, who resisted English invaders;
the history of Britain with its later imperial role;
Manuel Argos' founding of the Terran Empire, based on the Roman Empire.

Caesar came before all this so it is a worthwhile exercise to try to decipher his text!