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Battle of Mons Graupius |
The information that we have concerning the
1st Century campaigns of the Roman General Agricola in Scotland
comes from Tacitus, his biographer. In the summer of AD84
Agricola moved from his camp at Inchtuthil and headed towards
the north of Scotland by an east coast route. The actual location
of Mons Graupius is uncertain but it is thought to be located
somewhere in the region of Bennachie near Inverurie in eastern
Aberdeenshire. The report of the battle bears all the hallmarks
of the excesses that are seen in military memoirs. In it the
numbers are greatly exaggerated with 30,000 Caledonians led
by Calgagus, 'the Swordsman' fighting less than 10,000 Romans,
at the end of the battle there were 10,000 Caledonian dead
against 360 Roman. Although in most areas chariots had gone
out of use they were still used by the Caledonians at Mons
Graupius and they commanded the respect of the Roman soldiery.
Tacitus gives Galgacus a speech to give before the start of
the battle, which is good anti-imperialism but was probably
never uttered:
'We, the most distant
dwellers upon earth, the last of the free, have been shielded
till today by our very remoteness and by the obscurity in
which it has surrounded our name ... But there are no more
nations beyond us; nothing is there but rocks and waves now,
before us more deadly still than these - the Romans.'
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Roman guard tower reconstruction, Hadrian's
Wall |
The Caledonians were no match for the mighty Roman war machine,
and although the numbers given by Tacitus were certainly too high,
they suffered a terrible defeat. The survivors made their escape
to the hills and because it was late in the marching season Agricola
withdrew, claiming with a measure of poetic license that Britain
'was completely subdued'. A large part of the Caledonian army escaped,
however, and in the next few centuries their descendants were to
become a thorn in the side of Roman Britain.
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History Books on the Romans in Scotland:
| Author |
Title |
Published |
Price |
Order
Now From: |
| Guy de la Bedoyere |
Hadrian's Wall: History and
Guide
|
1998 |
£9.99
or
$16.99 |
Amazon.co.uk
or
Amazon.com |
| The first detailed guide to appear for many years on
this most dramatic example of the Roman occupation of
the British Isles. Also covers the outpost forts and the
local museums which house artefacts discovered near the
wall. Contains many sketches, drawings and photgraphs
as well asmap locations routes and parking information.
|
 |
|
| Breeze, D. J. |
Hadrian's Wall (4th ed) |
2000 |
£9.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
| A fully revised edition of this standard work which
was first published in 1974. It has been updated with
the results of recent research which has changed some
of the author's conclusions on the building and manning
of the wall. |
 |
|
| Breeze, D. J. |
Roman Scotland |
1996 |
£15.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
| Another addition to their excellent "Historic Scotland"
Series, considers the background to the invasion and subsequently
withdrawl from Scotland of the Roman army, and uses the
latest archaeological evidence to paint a fascinating
picture of life at the time. |
 |
|
| Keppie, L. J. F. |
Scotland's Roman Remains |
1998 |
£9.95 |
Amazon.co.uk |
| This handbook, produced in collaboration with the Council
for British Archaeology Scotland, is designed for the
reader with little or no prior knowledge of things Roman
who wishes to learn something about the action-packed
period when the Romans tried to add the northern part
of Britain to their Empire. The Roman army built forts
and roads throughout lowland Scotland and constructed
the Antonine Wall from Forth to Clyde. The book sets the
various phases of Roman occupation in their historical
context and shows how literary and archaeological evidence
can be used to build up a picture of the Roman period.
The itineraries provide a guide to what may be seen at
individual sites and will help the reader to distinguish
Roman sites from those of earlier or later epochs, even
when no archaeological excavation has taken place. Overall,
the book provides a fascinating picture of life in the
frontier area of Rome's northernmost province. |
 |
|
| Maxwell, G. S. |
Gathering of Eagles: Romans
in Scotland |
1998 |
£5.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
| In the Historic Scotland series. Provides an introduction
to the key themes and periods in Scottish history and
prehistory. Uses many different types of evidence from
archaeology to environmental studies and takes account
of recent developments. Uses imaginary personal commentary
with accounts of the monuments which remain today. |
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| Maxwell, G. S. |
Romans in Scotland |
1989 |
£16.99 |
Amazon.co.uk |
| A look at the history of the Roman army in North Britain
with particular emphasis on the 1st and 2nd century. |
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