Roman Britain Part 2

• Tacitus, Agricola 23 tells us that the Fourth-Clyde line was the appropriate place to halt the expansion.
• Agricola's conquest of Caledonia and the circumnavigation upwards implies that full conquest of Britain was the aim.
• Proof of ambition to fully expand: Full legionary fortress (quickly abandoned) of the Twentieth Legion Valeria Victrix at Inchtuthil.
• Inchtuthil Fort: North of the river Tay, supported by auxiliary forts further north. The obscure Sallistus Lucullus attempt to close off the glens in the highlands.
• Tacitus, Histories (review of the Flavian period): "Britain was thoroughly subdued and immediately abandoned". This goes on to explain about revolts elsewhere too.
• Suetonius, Domitian - emperor's financial constraints resulted in the reduction of numbers of troops across the Empire.
• Suetonius, Domitian: "exhausted the exchequer by the expense of his buildings and public spectacles" "he made an attempt at the reduction of the army, in order to lessen the military charges."
• Shortly after Agricola's departure as governor of Britain in 87, the Second Legion Adiutrix was withdrawn from Britain and sent to Moesia (modern-day Romania) to assist with the First Dacian War. This meant that only three legions were occupying Britain.
• Needed to maintain control over recently subjugated tribes in Wales and Brigantia. The Twentieth Legion Valeria Victrix was moved to Chester to replace the Twentieth Legion Adiutrix. Inchtuthil and the glen forts were abandoned and destroyed.
• Continued use of the Fourth-Clyde Line: large lowland forts of Dalswinton and Newstead were reconstructed and enlarged to house detachments of the legions and auxiliary cavalry (by the start of the second century).
• New emperor in 98, Trajan, decided to make the legionary forces at Caerleon, York and Chester permanent using stone rather than timber structures.
• Caerleon Stone of Trajan 100AD: "For the Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan Augustus... the Second Legion Augusta (erected this)."
• Commemorative Tablet from York 107-8AD: "The Emperor Caesar Nerva Trajan Augustus... built this gate by the agency of the Ninth Legion Hispana."
• By the end of Trajan's reign, the Roman empire was at its greatest size.
• Trajan's decision to use stone was fixed policy, as it concentrated the legionary forces into territories that were subdued in the late 70s. This meant that campaigning was over and the soldiers would act as a permanent garrison.
• Stanegate Road System: Ran from Carlisle to Corbridge (Coria) and can be seen as the first 'frontier' of the post-Agricola period. It was built during the Agricola push northwards, with the fort at Corbridge acting as a supply base for the Scottish campaign.
• Uncertainty as to who destroyed the forts along the Stanegate System
• Vindolanda Tablet 2.291, 100AD (Birthday Invitation): "sister, for the day of the celebration of my birthday, I give you a warm invitation". This implies that the period was stable enough for the Romans to celebrate.
• Stanegate system- 2nd Century: forts at Haltwhistle Burn and Throp were added to reduce the marching time between the central forts to half a day.
• Vindolanda fort- an auxiliary fort for the first cohort of the Tungrians (Belgic Gauls) and the ninth cohort of Batvians (Germanic tribe).
• The Vindolanda tablets were preserved due to the anaerobic conditions of the soil due to the demolition of previous forts.
• Vindolanda Tablet 2.154, 90s AD (Military Strength Report): "Remainder present 296" etc.
• Site of Vindolanda (Late 1st- Early 2nd Century AD. Defensive fort just south of Hadrian's Wall): Includes a granary, hospital, ports, defences etc.
• The number of absentees at Vindolanda indicates that there was a very limited threat of attack during this time and 337 were in Corbridge so not too far away if they were needed.
• Hadrian established a permanent frontier in Britain (a wall) that ran 80 Roman miles across the Tyne- Solway isthumus.
• Scriptores Historae Augustae: mentions trouble in Britain at around the same time that the Ninth Legion were removed from Britain and replaced by the Sixth Legion Victrix Pia Fidelis: "Hadrian... devoted his attention to maintaining peace throughout the world." "For the nations which Trajan had conquered began to revolt" "the Britons could not be kept under Roman sway".
• Altars to Neptune and Oceanus, early 120s AD: Acts as evidence for Hadrian's building work in the area. The bridge that they were on marked the start of the wall.
• Inscription on the Tombstone of Titus Pontius Sabinus: states that he was in command of detachments of 1,000 men from three legions. This indicated that issues were severe enough to warrant a considerable military response.
• As of Hadrian, 119AD: shows the bust of Hadrian. Minted to commemorate the swiftness of Hadrian's campaign in Britain.
• Scriptores Historiae Augustae, Hadrian 11.2: "having reformed the army in an excellent manner" "was the first to build wall, eighty miles long, to separate the Barbarians and the Romans."
• Milecastle 38 building inscription, 122-6AD: "This work od the Emperor Caesar Trajan Hadrian Augustus (was built by) the Second Legion Augusta under Aulus Platorius Nepos, propraetorian legate."
• The wall was begun at Newcastle and ran westwards to Bowness on Solway with eighty milecastles with turrets every third of a mile. Where possible, a ditch was dug to the north of the wall unless the natural features of the terrain provided a more appropriate barrier, such as steep cliffs. Original wall did not contain any forts.
• The original foundations were 10ft wide and commonly known as the 'broad wall'. This plan was abandoned and narrowed to between 6-8ft, which may have been due to resource supplies.
• An inscription from the Halton Chesters shows that Nepos and the Sixth Legion Victrix Pia Fidelis were building forts on the wall around three years after the initial foundations were laid: "the Sixth Legion Victrix Pia Fidelis (built this) under Aulus Platorius Nepos, governor."
• Archaeology shows that the forts at Housesteads, Chesters and Birdoswald were built on existing turrets from the old system.
• 128 AD- an impressive vallum ditch was added to the south of the wall. This was a huge defensive structure- flat-bottomed and deviated between the forts which shows it was added on later. 20ft wide and 10ft deep with mounds either side.
• Archaeology shows that the wall was progressing up to 125AD, when forts were added to the wall itself.
• Halton Chesters dedication slab 122-125AD: "For the emperor Caesar Trajan Hadrian Augustus, the Sixth Legion Victrix Pia Fidelis (built this) under Aulus Platorius Nepos, governor.
• The earlier forts on Hadrian's Wall were built astride the curtain wall in an offensive position, with three/ four gates built to the north.
• An inscription at Great Chesters (dated after 128AD), Hadrian is referred to as Pater Patriae