[guide.chat] In Reply To: jim 2
- From: "James Liddell" <james.liddell2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "qwe¼Yrty1234567a@xxxxxxxxx" <qwe��rty1234567a@xxxxxxxxx>, <guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:56:34 +0100
Yes, Vanessa -
That's why I said Shakespeare had got things so wrong!
He called Macbeth "Thane of Glamis" - Glamis didn't exist when Macbeth was King
- and neither did the title "Thane". If anything, Macbeth would have been a
'Carl' - the Norse variant of 'earl'.
He called Macbeth "King of Scotland" - he wasn't. He was king of Alba, the
Gaelic title of a kingdom called Scotia: that is what we call Scotland minus
the Western Isles, Caithness and Sutherland, Ross, Orkney and Shetland.
Shakespeare didn't even manage to get Macbeth's queen's name correct. None of
this 'Lady Macbeth' rubbish. Her name was Grouoch. Far from being a wicked
so-and-so, she was so good a ruler that Macbeth left her in charge while he
went on pilgrimage to Rome.
Oh, yes, and I forgot...Duncan II wasn't Shakespeare's nice old man whom
Macbeth slew in bed...he was actually YOUNGER than Macbeth, and died in battle!
And, lastly, Malcolm didn't succeed Macbeth immediately as king, as the bard's
play suggests - Macbeth was succeeded by his step-son Lullach, who died in
battle the following year,to be succeeded by Malcolm III...
That's why I started to get interested in Scots history!
BTW _ GUIDE doesn't work well with Scots languages!
-----Original Message-----
From: vanessa - Email Address: qwe¼?rty1234567a@xxxxxxxxx
Sent On: 13/08/2012 14:56
Sent To: GUIDE CHAT - Email Address: guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [guide.chat] jim 2
Scotland during the Roman Empire encompasses a period of protohistory. from
the arrival of Roman legions in c. AD 71 to their departure in 213. The history
of the period is complex: the Roman empire. influenced every part of Scotland
during the period, however the occupation was neither complete nor continuous.
Analysis and interpretation is further complicated by the fact that the idea of
both " Scots. " and of " Scotland. " as a discrete entity did not emerge until
centuries later. . The period is marked by the appearance of the first
historical accounts. of the peoples of Scotland, as well as by extensive, if
at times inconclusive, archaeological evidence.
Throughout this time the geographical area of Scotland was occupied by several
different tribes utilising Iron Age. technology with a wide variety of
relationships both to one another and to Ancient Rome. The Romans gave the name
Caledonia. to the land north of their province. of Britannia. , beyond the
frontier. of the empire. Although the Roman presence was an important time in
Scottish history. , not least because it was when written records first
emerged, Roman influence on Scottish culture. was not enduring. [1].
The Roman invasion under Quintus Petillius Cerialis. began in AD 71 and
culminated in the battle of Mons Graupius. at an unknown location in northern
Scotland in AD 84. Although the Caledonia Confederacy. suffered a defeat it
was not long before the legions abandoned their territorial gains and returned
to a line south of the Solway Firth. , later consolidated by the construction
of Hadrian's Wall. .
Roman commanders subsequently made various attempts to conquer territory to the
north of this line, including the building of the Antonine Wall. and the
later Severan campaigns but their success was similarly short-lived. Roman
forces ceased to have a significant impact after 211. By the close of the Roman
occupation of southern and central Britain in the fifth century the Picts.
had emerged as the dominant force in northern Scotland, with the various
Brythonic. tribes the Romans had first encountered there occupying the
southern half of the country.
Contents. [ hide. ]
1 The dawn of Scottish history.
2 Iron Age culture in Scotland.
3 The invasion of Caledonia.
4 Mons Graupius.
4.1 Calgacus.
4.2 Aftermath.
5 "Towns" and southern brochs.
6 Hadrian's Wall.
7 Antonine Wall.
8 Later Roman campaigns.
9 The Painted Ones.
10 Roman legacy.
11 In fiction.
12 Recent discoveries.
13 See also.
14 References.
15 Notes.
16 Further reading.
17 External links. [ edit. ] The dawn of Scottish history.
Topographic map of Scotland
Scotland had been inhabited for thousands of years before the Romans arrived.
However, it is only towards the Roman period that Scotland is recorded in
writing.
In the 4th century BC Aristotle. knew of "Albinn" and "Ierne" (the islands of
Great Britain. and Ireland. ). [2]. The Greek explorer Pytheas. visited
Britain sometime between 322 and 285 BC and may have circumnavigated the
mainland, which he describes as being triangular in shape. In his On the Ocean
Pytheas refers to the most northerly point as Orcas, conceivably a reference to
Orkney. . [3].
The earliest written record of a formal connection between Rome and Scotland is
the attendance of the "King of Orkney" who was one of 11 British kings who
submitted to the Emperor Claudius. at Colchester. in AD 43 following the
invasion of southern Britain. three months earlier. [4]. [5]. The long
distances and short period of time involved strongly suggest a prior connection
between Rome and Orkney, although no evidence of this has been found and the
contrast with later Caledonian. resistance is striking. [6]. Originals of On
the Ocean do not survive, but copies are known to have existed in the 1st
century AD so at the least a rudimentary knowledge of the geography of north
Britain would have been available to Roman military intelligence. [7]. [8].
Pomponius Mela. , the Roman geographer, recorded in his De Chorographia,
written circa AD 43, that there were 30 Orkney islands. and seven Haemodae
(possibly Shetland. ). [9]. There is certainly evidence of an Orcadian
connection with Rome prior to 60 AD from pottery found at the broch. of
Gurness. . [10].
By the time of Pliny the Elder. , who died in AD 79, Roman knowledge of the
geography of Scotland had extended to the Hebudes ( The Hebrides. ), Dumna
(probably the Outer Hebrides. ), the Caledonian Forest. and the Caledonii.
. [9].
Ptolemy. , possibly drawing on earlier sources of information as well as more
contemporary accounts from the Agricolan. invasion, identified 18 tribes in
Scotland in his Geography, but many of the names are obscure and the geography
becomes less reliable in the north and west, suggesting early Roman knowledge
of these area was confined to observations from the sea. [9]. [11].
The Broch. of Gurness. in Orkney[ edit. ] Iron Age culture in Scotland.
Dun Telve broch in Glenelg.
Ptolemy's tribes located north of the Forth-Clyde isthmus include the
Cornovii. in Caithness. , the Caereni, Smertae, Carnonacae, Decantae, Lugi
and Creones also north of the Great Glen. , the Taexali. in the north-east,
the Epidii. in Argyll. , the Venicones. in Fife. , the Caledonii in the
central Highlands. and the Vacomagi centred near Strathmore. . It is likely
that all of these cultures spoke a form of Celtic language. known as
Pritennic. . The occupants of southern Scotland were the Damnonii. in the
Clyde valley, the Novantae. in Galloway, the Selgovae. on the south coast
and the Votadini. to the east. These peoples may have spoken a form of
Brythonic. language.
Despite the discovery of many hundreds of Iron Age. sites in Scotland there
is still a great deal that remains to be explained about the nature of the
Celtic. life in the early Christian era. Unfortunately radiocarbon dating.
for this period is problematic and chronological sequences are poorly
understood. [12]. For a variety of reasons much of the archaeological work to
date in Scotland has concentrated on the islands of the west and north. and
both excavations and analysis of societal structures on the mainland are more
limited in scope. [13].
The peoples of early Iron Age Scotland, particularly in the north and west,
lived in substantial stone buildings called Atlantic roundhouses. . The
remains of hundreds of these houses exist throughout the country, some merely
piles of rubble, others with impressive towers and outbuildings. They date from
about 800 BC to AD 300 with the most imposing structures having been created
circa 200-100 BC. The most massive constructions that date from this time are
the circular broch towers. On average, the ruins only survive up to a few
metres above ground level, although there are five extant examples of towers
whose walls still exceed 6.5 m (21 ft) in height. [14]. There are at least 100
broch sites in Scotland. [15]. Despite extensive research, their purpose and
the nature of the societies that created them are still a matter of debate.
[16].
In some parts of Iron Age Scotland, quite unlike almost all of recorded history
right up to the present day, there does not seem to have been an hierarchical
elite. . Studies have shown that these stone roundhouses, with massively thick
walls must have contained virtually the entire population of islands such as
Barra. and North Uist. . Iron Age settlement patterns in Scotland are not
homogenous, but in these places there is no sign of a privileged class living
in large castles or forts, or of an elite priestly caste or of peasants with no
access to the kind of accommodation enjoyed by the middle classes. [17].
Over 400 souterrains. have been discovered in Scotland, many of them in the
south-east, and although few have been dated those that have suggest a
construction date in the 2nd or 3rd centuries AD. Unfortunately the purpose of
these small underground structures is also obscure. They are usually found
close to settlements (whose timber frames are much less well-preserved) and may
have been for storing perishable agricultural products. [18].
"A gloomy journey amongst uninhabited islands"
Scotland also has numerous vitrified forts. but again an accurate chronology
has proven to be evasive. Extensive studies of such a fort at Finavon Hill near
Forfar. in Angus. , using a variety of techniques, suggest dates for the
destruction of the site in either the last two centuries BC, or the mid-1st
millennium AD. The lack of Roman artefacts (common in local souterrain sites)
suggests that many sites were abandoned before the arrival of the legions.
[19].
Unlike the earlier Neolithic. and Bronze Ages. , which have provided massive
monuments to the dead, Iron Age burial sites in Scotland are rare, and a recent
find at Dunbar. may provide further insight into the culture of this period.
A similar site of a warrior's grave at Alloa. has been provisionally dated to
AD 90-130. [20]. [21]. [22]. A traveller called Demetrius of Tarsus.
related to Plutarch. the tale of an expedition to the west coast in or
shortly before AD 83. He stated that it was "a gloomy journey amongst
uninhabited islands", but that he had visited one which was the retreat of holy
men. He mentioned neither the druids. nor the name of the island. [23]. [
edit. ] The invasion of Caledonia.
See also: Caledonians.
Agricola.Campaigns.80.84.jpg.
The apparently cordial beginnings recorded in Colchester did not last. We know
nothing of the foreign policies of the senior leaders in mainland Scotland in
the first century, but by AD 71 the Roman governor. Quintus Petillius
Cerialis. had launched an invasion. [24]. The Votadini, who occupied the
south-east of Scotland, came under Roman sway at an early stage and Cerialis
sent one division. north through their territory to the shores of the Firth
of Forth. . The XXth Legion took a western route through Annandale. in an
attempt to encircle and isolate the Selgovae who occupied the central Southern
Uplands. . [25]. [26]. Early success tempted Cerialis further north and he
began constructing a line of Glenblocker forts. to the north and west of the
Gask Ridge. which marked a frontier between the Venicones. to the south and
the Caledonii to the north. [27].
In the summer of AD 78 Gnaeus Julius Agricola. arrived in Britain to take up
his appointment as the new governor. Two years later his legions constructed a
substantial fort. at Trimontium. near Melrose. . Excavations in the 20th
century produced significant finds including the foundations of several
successive structures, Roman coins. and pottery. . Remains from the Roman
army. were also found, including a collection of Roman armour. (with ornate
cavalry parade helmets), and horse fittings (with bronze saddleplates and
studded leather chamfrons. ). Agricola is said to have pushed his armies to
the estuary of the "River Taus" (usually assumed to be the River Tay. ) and
established forts there, including a legionary fortress at Inchtuthil. . [28].
[ edit. ] Mons Graupius.
Statue of Gnaeus Julius Agricola.
In the summer of AD 84 the Romans faced the massed armies of the Caledonians at
the Battle of Mons Graupius. . Agricola, whose forces included a fleet,
arrived at the site with light infantry. bolstered with British auxiliaries.
. It is estimated that a total of 20,000 Romans faced 30,000 Caledonian
warriors. . [29]. [30].
Agricola put his auxiliaries in the front line, keeping the legions in reserve,
and relied on close-quarters fighting to make the Caledonians' unpointed
slashing swords useless. Even though the Caledonians were put to rout and
therefore lost this battle, two thirds of their army managed to escape and hide
in the Scottish Highlands or the "trackless wilds" as Tacitus. called them.
Battle casualties were estimated by Tacitus to be about 10,000 on the
Caledonian side and roughly 360 on the Roman side. A number of authors have
reckoned the battle to have occurred in the Grampian. Mounth. within sight
of the North Sea. . In particular, Roy, [31]. Surenne, Watt, Hogan and others
have advanced notions that the site of the battle may have been Kempstone
Hill. , Megray Hill. or other knolls near the Raedykes. Roman camp. .
These points of high ground are proximate to the Elsick Mounth. , an ancient
trackway. used by Romans and Caledonians for military manoeuvres. [32]. Other
suggestions include the hill of Bennachie. in Aberdeenshire. , the Gask
Ridge. not far from Perth. [33]. and Sutherland. . [34]. It has also been
suggested that in the absence of any archaeological evidence and Tacitus' low
estimates of Roman casualties, that the battle was simply fabricated. [35]. [
edit. ] Calgacus.
The first resident of Scotland to appear in history by name was Calgacus.
("the Swordsman"), a leader of the Caledonians at Mons Graupius, who is
referred to by Tacitus in the Agricola (30) as "the most distinguished for
birth and valour among the chieftains". Tacitus even invented a speech for him
in advance of the battle in which he describes the Romans as:
" Robbers of the world, having by their universal plunder exhausted the land,
they rifle the deep. If the enemy be rich, they are rapacious; if he be poor,
they lust for dominion; neither the east nor the west has been able to satisfy
them. Alone among men they covet with equal eagerness poverty and riches. To
robbery, slaughter, plunder, they give the lying name of empire; they make a
solitude and call it peace. [36]. " [ edit. ] Aftermath.
Calgacus' fate is unknown but, according to Tacitus, after the battle Agricola
ordered the prefect. of the fleet to sail around the north of Scotland to
confirm that Britain was an island and to receive the surrender of the
Orcadians. . It was proclaimed that Agricola had finally subdued all the tribes
of Britain. [37]. However, the Roman historian Cassius Dio. reports that
this circumnavigation resulted in Titus. receiving his 15th acclamation as
emperor in 79 AD. This is five years before Mons Graupius is believed by most
historians to have taken place. [38].
Roman. cavalryman trampling conquered Picts. , on a tablet found at Bo'ness.
dated to c.142 AD and now in the National Museum of Scotland.
Marching camps may have been constructed along the southern shores of the
Moray Firth. , although their existence is questioned. [34]. [39]. [40]. The
total size of the Roman garrison in Scotland during the Flavian. period of
occupation is thought to be some 25,000 troops, requiring 16-19,000 tons of
grain per annum. [41]. In addition, the material to construct the forts was
substantial, estimated at 1 million cubic feet. (28,315 m3) of timber during
the first century. Ten tons of buried nails were discovered at the Inchtuthil
site, which may have had a garrison of up to 6,000 men and which itself
consumed 30 linear kilometres of wood for the walls alone, which would have
used up 100 hectares (247 acres) of forest. [42]. [43]. [44].
Soon after his announcement of victory, Agricola was recalled to Rome by
Domitian. and his post passed to Sallustius Lucullus. . Agricola's successors
were seemingly unable or unwilling to further subdue the far north. Despite his
apparent successes, Agricola himself fell out of favour and it is possible that
Domitian may have been informed of the fraudulence of his claims to have won a
significant victory. [35]. The fortress at Inchtuthil was dismantled before
its completion and the other fortifications of the Gask Ridge (erected to
consolidate the Roman presence in Scotland in the aftermath of Mons Graupius)
were abandoned within the space of a few years. It is possible that the costs
of a drawn-out war outweighed any economic or political benefit and it was
deemed more profitable to leave the Caledonians to themselves. [45]. By AD 87
the occupation was limited to the Southern Uplands and by the end of the first
century the northern limit of Roman expansion was a line drawn between the
Tyne. and Solway Firth. . [46]. Elginhaugh. fort, in Midlothian. , dates
to about this period as may Castle Greg. in West Lothian. , which was most
likely used as a monitoring base for an east-west road running along the foot
of the nearby Pentlands. , from the Forth. to the Clyde Valley. .
Presumably as a consequence of the Roman advance, various hill forts such as
Dun Mor in Perthshire, which had been abandoned by the natives long ago, were
re-occupied. Some new ones may even have been constructed in the north-east
such as Hill O' Christ's Kirk in Aberdeenshire. . [47]. [ edit. ] "Towns" and
southern brochs.
Edin's Hall Broch. , showing intramural chambers
Ptolemy's map identifies 19 "towns" from intelligence gathered during the
Agricolan campaigns. No archaeological evidence of any truly urban places has
been found from this time and the names may have indicated hill forts or
temporary market and meeting places. Most of the names are obscure: Devana may
be the modern Banchory. , and Alauna (meaning "the rock") in the west is
probably Dumbarton Rock and the place of the same name in the east of the
Lowlands may be the site of Edinburgh Castle. . Lindon may be Balloch. on
Loch Lomond. side. [48].
There are the remains of various broch towers in southern Scotland that appear
to date from the period immediately prior to or following Agricola's invasion.
They are about fifteen in number and are found in four locations: the Forth
valley, close to the Firth of Tay. , the far south-west and the eastern
Borders. . Their existence so far from the main centres of broch-building is
something of a mystery. The destruction of the Leckie broch may have come at
the hands of the Roman invaders, yet like the nearby site of Fairy Knowe at
Buchlyvie. a substantial amount of both Roman and native artefacts have been
recovered there. Both structures were built in the late first century AD and
were evidently high-status buildings. The inhabitants raised sheep, cattle and
pigs, and benefited from a range of wild game including Red Deer. and Wild
Boar. .
Edin's Hall Broch. in Berwickshire. is the best preserved southern broch and
although the ruins are superficially similar to some of the larger Orcadian
broch villages it is unlikely that the tower was ever more than a single story
high. There is an absence of Roman artefacts at this site. Various theories for
the existence of these structures have been proposed, including their
construction by northern invaders following the withdrawal of Roman troops
after the Agricolan advance, or by allies of Rome encouraged to emulate the
impressive northern style in order to suppress native resistance, perhaps even
the Orcadian chiefs whose positive relationship with Rome may have continued
from the beginnings of Romano-British relations. It is also possible that their
construction had little to do with Roman frontier policy and was simply the
importation of a new style by southern elites or it may have been a response by
such elites to the growing threat of Rome prior to the invasion and an attempt
to ally themselves, actually or symbolically, with the free north. [49]. [
edit. ] Hadrian's Wall.
A section of Hadrian's Wall. near Greenhead
Quintus Pompeius Falco. became governor of Brittania between 118 and 122 and
is thought to have suppressed an uprising involving the Brigantes. of
northern Britannia and the Selgovae. In his last year of office he hosted a
visit to the province. by the Emperor Hadrian. that resulted in the
construction of Hadrian's Wall. ( Latin. : Rigore Valli Aeli, "the line along
Hadrian's frontier").
This line of occupation of Britain was consolidated as one of the limites.
(defensible frontiers) of the empire by its construction. It is a stone and
turf fortification. built across the width of what is now modern-day northern
England. . The wall was 80 Roman miles. (73.5 statute miles or 117
kilometres) long, [50]. its width and height dependent on the construction
materials which were available nearby. East of the River Irthing. the wall
was made from squared stone and measured 3 metres (9.7 ft) wide and 5-6 metres
(16-20 ft) high, while west of the river the wall was made from turf and
measured 6 metres (20 ft) wide and 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) high. The wall was
augmented by various ditches, berms. , and forts.
The wall had several purposes. Defence was the most obvious, but it also
controlled movement behind the line, enabled the rapid transmission of military
intelligence and facilitated the collection of customs dues. Its scale also
demonstrated the power of Rome to her enemies, and was surely intended to
enhance the prestige of its builder. [51]. Hadrian's Wall remained the
frontier between the Roman and Celtic worlds in Britain until 139.
Scotland.south.Ptolemy.map.jpg.
[ edit. ] Antonine Wall.
Main article: Antonine Wall.
Quintus Lollius Urbicus. was made governor of Roman Britain. in 138, by the
new Emperor Antoninus Pius. . Urbicus was the son of a Libyan. landowner
[52]. and a native of Numidia. (modern Algeria. ). Prior to coming to
Britain he served during the Jewish Rebellion. of 132-135, and then governing
Germania Inferior. .
Antoninus Pius soon reversed the containment policy of his predecessor Hadrian,
and Urbicus was ordered to begin the reconquest of Lowland Scotland. by
moving north. Between 139 and 140 he rebuilt a fort at Corbridge. and by 142
or 143, commemorative coins were issued celebrating a victory in Britain. It is
therefore likely that Urbicus led the reoccupation of southern Scotland c. 141,
probably using Legio II Augusta. . He evidently campaigned against several
British tribes. (possibly including factions of the northern Brigantes),
certainly against the lowland tribes of Scotland. ; the Votadini and Selgovae
of the Scottish Borders region, and the Damnonii of Strathclyde. His total
force may have been about 16,500 men. [53].
It seems likely that Urbicus planned his campaign of attack from Corbridge,
advancing north and leaving garrison forts at High Rochester in Northumberland
and possibly also at Trimontium as he struck towards the Firth of Forth. Having
secured an overland supply route for military personnel and equipment along
Dere Street. , Urbicus very likely set up a supply port at Carriden for the
supply of grain and other foodstuffs before proceeding against the Damnonii.
The course of the Antonine Wall. , at Barr Hill
Success was swift and the construction of a new limes between the Firth of
Forth and the Firth of Clyde. commenced. Contingents from at least one
British legion are known to have assisted in the erection of the new turf
barrier, as evidenced by an inscription from the fort at Old Kilpatrick. , the
Antonine Wall. 's western terminus. Today, the sward. -covered wall is the
remains of a defensive line made of turf. circa 7 metres (20 ft) high, with
nineteen forts. It was constructed after AD 139 and extended for 60 km (37 mi).
It was possibly after the defences were finished that Urbicus turned his
attention upon the fourth lowland Scottish tribe, the Novantae who inhabited
the Dumfries and Galloway peninsula. The main lowland tribes, sandwiched as
they were between Hadrian's Wall of stone to the south and the new turf wall to
the north, later formed a confederation against Roman rule, collectively known
as the Maeatae. .
The Antonine Wall had a variety of purposes. It provided a defensive line
against the Caledonians. It cut off the Maeatae from their Caledonian allies
and created a buffer zone north of Hadrian's Wall. It also facilitated troop
movements between east and west, but its main purpose may not have been
primarily military. It enabled Rome to control and tax trade and may have
prevented potentially disloyal new subjects of Roman rule from communicating
with their independent brethren to the north and coordinating revolts. [54].
[55]. Urbicus achieved an impressive series of military successes, but like
Agricola's they were short-lived. Having taken twelve years to build, the wall
was overrun and abandoned soon after AD 160. [56]. [57].
The destruction of some of the southern brochs may date to the Antonine
advance, the hypothesis being that whether or not they had previously been
symbols of Roman patronage they had now outlived their usefulness from a Roman
point of view. [49]. [ edit. ] Later Roman campaigns.
The Roman frontier became Hadrian's Wall again, although Roman incursions into
Scotland continued. Initially outpost forts were occupied in the south-west and
Trimontium remained in use but they too were abandoned after the mid 180s.
[58].
Rural Aberdeenshire. , looking from the heights of Bennachie. towards the
lower-lying land in which Roman camps were situated.
The inscription on the Roman altar at Cramond dedicated to the mothers of
Alaterva and of the fields.
Roman troops, however, penetrated far into the north of modern Scotland several
more times. Indeed, there is a greater density of Roman marching camps in
Scotland than anywhere else in Europe as a result of at least four major
attempts to subdue the area. The Antonine Wall was occupied again for a brief
period after AD 197. [59]. The most notable invasion was in 209 when the
emperor Septimus Severus. , claiming to be provoked by the belligerence of the
Maeatae, campaigned against the Caledonian Confederacy. Severus invaded
Caledonia with an army perhaps over 40,000 strong. [60].
Monument marking the site of the Roman fort of Trimontium.
According to Dio Cassius. , he inflicted genocidal depredations on the natives
and incurred the loss of 50,000 of his own men to the attrition of guerrilla.
tactics, although it is likely that these figures are a significant
exaggeration. [61].
A string of forts was constructed in the north-east (some of which may date
from the earlier Antonine campaign). These include camps associated with the
Elsick Mounth, such as Normandykes. , Ythan Wells. , Deers Den. and
Glenmailen. . [32]. However, only two forts in Scotland, at Cramond. and
Carpow (in the Tay valley) are definitely known to have been permanently
occupied during this incursion before the troops were withdrawn again to
Hadrian's Wall circa 213. [62]. There is some evidence that these campaigns
are coincident with the wholesale destruction and abandonment of souterrains in
southern Scotland. This may have been due either to Roman military aggression
or the collapse of local grain markets in the wake of Roman withdrawal. [63].
By 210, Severus' campaigning had made significant gains, but his campaign was
cut short when he fell fatally ill, dying at Eboracum. in 211. Although his
son Caracalla. continued campaigning the following year, he soon settled for
peace. The Romans never campaigned deep into Caledonia again: they soon
withdrew south permanently to Hadrian's Wall. [62]. [64].
It was during the negotiations to purchase the truce necessary to secure the
Roman retreat to the wall that the first recorded utterance, attributable with
any reasonable degree of confidence, to a native of Scotland was made. When
Septimus Severus' wife, Julia Domna, criticised the sexual morals of the
Caledonian women, the wife of Caledonian chief Argentocoxos replied: "We
fulfill the demands of nature in a much better way than do you Roman women; for
we consort openly with the best men, whereas you let yourselves be debauched in
secret by the vilest". [65].
Little is known about this alliance of Iron Age tribes, which may have been
augmented by fugitives from Roman rule further south. The exact location of
"Caledonia" is unknown, and the boundaries are unlikely to have been fixed.
[66]. The name itself is a Roman one, as used by Tacitus, Ptolemy, Pliny the
Elder and Lucan. , [67]. but the name by which the Caledonians referred to
themselves is unknown. It is likely that the prior to the Roman invasions,
political control in the region was highly decentralised and no evidence has
emerged of any specific Caledonian military or political leadership. [68].
Later excursions by the Romans were generally limited to the scouting
expeditions in the buffer zone that developed between the walls, trading
contacts, bribes to purchase truces from the natives, and eventually the spread
of Christianity. The Ravenna Cosmography. utilises a third or fourth century
Roman map and identifies four loci (meeting places, possibly markets) in
southern Scotland. Locus Maponi is possibly the modern Lochmabenstane near
Gretna. which continued to be used as a muster point well into the historic
period. Two of the others indicate meeting places of the Damnonii and Selgovae,
and the fourth, Manavi may be Clackmannan. . [69]. From the time of Caracalla
onwards, no further attempts were made to permanently occupy territory in
Scotland. [62]. [ edit. ] The Painted Ones.
Main article: Picts.
Clach an Tiompain. , a Pictish symbol stone in Strathpeffer.
The intermittent Roman presence in Scotland coincided with the emergence of the
Picts. , a confederation. of tribes who lived to the north of the Forth and
Clyde from Roman times until the 10th century. They are often assumed to have
been the descendants of the Caledonii though the evidence for this connection
is circumstantial and the name by which the Picts called themselves is unknown.
[70]. [71]. They are often said to have tattooed themselves, but evidence for
this is limited. Naturalistic depictions of Pictish nobles, hunters and
warriors, male and female, without obvious tattoos, are found on their
monumental stones. . [72]. The Gaels. of Dalriada called the Picts
Cruithne. , [73]. [74]. and Irish poets portrayed their Pictish counterparts
as very much like themselves. [75].
The means by which the Pictish confederation formed is also unknown, although
there is speculation that reaction to the growth of the Roman Empire was a
factor. [76]. The early history of Pictland is unclear. In later periods
multiple kings existed, ruling over separate kingdoms, with one king, sometimes
two, more or less dominating their lesser neighbours. [77]. De Situ Albanie.
, the Pictish Chronicle. , and the Duan Albanach. , along with Irish legends,
have been used to argue the existence of seven Pictish kingdoms although more
may have existed and some evidence suggests that a Pictish kingdom also existed
in Orkney. [77]. [78]. [79].
Reconstructed crannog. on Loch Tay.
The Pictish relationship with Rome appears to have been less overtly hostile
than their Caledonii predecessors, at least in the beginning. There were no
more pitched battles and conflict was generally limited to raiding parties from
both sides of the frontier until immediately prior to and after the Roman
retreat from Brittania. [80]. Their apparent success in holding back Roman
forces cannot be explained solely with reference to the remoteness of Caledonia
or the difficulties of the terrain. In part it may have been due to the
difficulties encountered in subjugating a population that did not conform to
the strictures of local governance that Roman power usually depended on to
operate through. [68].
The technology of everyday life is not well recorded, but archaeological
evidence shows it to have been similar to that in Ireland and Anglo-Saxon
England. Recently evidence has been found of watermills. in Pictland and
kilns. were used for drying kernels of wheat or barley, not otherwise easy in
the changeable, temperate climate. [81]. Although constructed in earlier
times, brochs, roundhouses and crannogs. remained in use into and beyond the
Pictish period. [82]. [83]. [84]. [85].
Elsewhere in Scotland wheelhouses. were constructed, probably for ritualistic
purposes, in the west and north. Their geographical locations are highly
restricted, which suggests that they may have been contained within a political
or cultural frontier of some kind and the co-incidence of their arrival and
departure being associated with the period of Roman influence in Scotland is a
matter of ongoing debate. It is not known whether the culture that constructed
them was "Pictish" as such although they would certainly have been known to the
Picts. [86].
As Rome's power waned, the Picts were emboldened. War bands raided south of
Hadrian's Wall in earnest in 342, 360 and 365 and they participated in the
conspiratio barbarica. of 367. Rome fought back, mounting campaigns in 369 and
384, but these were short-lived successes. The legions finally deserted
Brittania in 410, never to return. [87]. [ edit. ] Roman legacy.
The military presence of Rome lasted for little more than 40 years for most of
Scotland and only as much as 80 years in total anywhere. At no time was even
half of Scotland's land mass under Roman control. [62].
Scotland has inherited two main features from the Roman period, although mostly
indirectly: the use of the Latin script. for its languages, and the emergence
of Christianity. as the predominant religion. Through Christianity, the
Latin language. would become used by the natives of Scotland for the purposes
of church and government for centuries more.
Roman influence assisted the spread of Christianity throughout Europe. , but
there is little evidence of a direct link between the Roman Empire and
Christian missions north of Hadrian's Wall. Traditionally, Ninian. is
credited as the first bishop. active in Scotland. He is briefly mentioned by
Bede. [88]. who states that around 397 he set up his base at Whithorn. in
the south-west of Scotland, building a stone church there, known as Candida
Casa. . More recently it has been suggested that Ninian was the 6th century
missionary Finnian of Moville. , [89]. [90]. but either way Roman influence
on early Christianity in Scotland does not seem to have been significant.
Although little more than a series of relatively brief interludes of military
occupation, [91]. Imperial Rome was ruthless and brutal in pursuit of its
ends. [92]. Genocide was a familiar part of its foreign policy and it is clear
that the invasions and occupations cost thousands of lives. Alistair Moffat
writes:
" The reality is that the Romans came to what is now Scotland, they saw, they
burned, killed, stole and occasionally conquered, and then they left a
tremendous mess behind them, clearing away native settlements and covering good
farmland with the remains of ditches, banks, roads, and other sorts of ancient
military debris. Like most imperialists they arrived to make money, to gain
political advantage and to exploit the resources of their colonies at virtually
any price to the conquered. And remarkably, in Britain, in Scotland, we
continue to admire them for it. [93]. "
All the more surprising given that the Vindolanda tablets. [94]. show that
the Roman nickname for the north British locals was Brittunculi meaning "nasty
little Britons". [93].
Similarly, William Hanson concludes that:
" For many years it has been almost axiomatic in studies of the period that the
Roman conquest must have had some major medium or long-term impact on Scotland.
On present evidence that cannot be substantiated either in terms of
environment, economy, or, indeed, society. The impact appears to have been very
limited. The general picture remains one of broad continuity, not of
disruption.... The Roman presence in Scotland was little more than a series of
brief interludes within a longer continuum of indigenous development." [95]. "
The Romans' part in the clearances of the once extensive Caledonian forest
remains a matter of debate. [96]. That these forests were once considerably
more extensive than they are now is not in dispute, but the timing and causes
of the reduction are. The 16th century writer Hector Boece. believed that the
woods in Roman times stretched north from Stirling into Atholl. and
Lochaber. and was inhabited by white bulls with "crisp and curland mane, like
feirs lionis". [97]. Later historians such as P. F. Tytler. and W. F.
Skene. followed suit as did the 20th century naturalist Frank Fraser Darling.
. Modern techniques, including palynology. and dendrochronology. suggest a
more complex picture. Changing post-glacial climates may have allowed for a
maximum forest cover between 4000 and 3000 BC and deforestation of the Southern
uplands, caused both climatically and anthropogenically, was well underway by
the time the legions arrived. [98]. Extensive analyses of Black Loch in Fife.
suggest that arable land spread at the expense of forest from about 2000 BC
until the first century AD Roman advance. Thereafter, there was re-growth of
birch, oak and hazel for a period of five centuries, suggesting the invasions
had a very negative impact on the native population. [99]. The situation
outwith the Roman-held areas is harder to assess, but the long-term influence
of Rome may not have been substantial.
Yr.Hen.Ogledd.550.650.Koch.jpg.
The archaeological legacy of Rome in Scotland is of interest, but sparse,
especially in the north. Almost all the sites are essentially military in
nature and include about 650 km (400 mi) of roads. [100]. [101]. Overall, it
is hard to detect any direct connections between native architecture and
settlement patterns and Roman influence. [102]. Elsewhere in Europe, new
kingdoms and languages emerged from the remnants of the once-mighty Roman
world. In Scotland, the Celtic Iron Age way of life, often troubled, but never
extinguished by Rome, simply re-asserted itself. In the north the Picts
continued to be the main power prior to the arrival and subsequent domination
of the Scots of Dalriada. . The Damnonii. eventually formed the Kingdom of
Strathclyde. based at Dumbarton Rock. . South of the Forth, the Welsh.
speaking Brythonic. kingdoms of Yr Hen Ogledd. (English: "The Old North")
flourished during the 5th-7th centuries.
The most enduring Roman legacy may be that created by Hadrian's Wall. Its line
approximates the border between modern Scotland and England and it created a
distinction between the northern third and southern two-thirds of the island of
Great Britain that plays a part in modern political debate. This is probably
coincidental however, as there is little to suggest its influence played an
important role in the early Medieval period. after the fall of Rome. [103]. [
edit. ] In fiction.
The 9th Spanish Legion. participated in the Roman invasion of Britain,
suffering losses under Quintus Petillius Cerialis in the rebellion of Boudica.
of 61, and setting up a fortress in 71 that later became part of Eburacum. .
Although some authors have claimed that the 9th Legion disappeared in 117,
[104]. there are extant records for it later than that year, and it was
probably annihilated in the east of the Roman Empire. [105]. For a time it was
believed, at least by some British historians, that the legion vanished during
its conflicts in present-day Scotland. This idea was used in the novels The
Eagle of the Ninth. by Rosemary Sutcliff, Legion From the Shadows by Karl
Edward Wagner. , Red Shift. by Alan Garner. , Engine City by Ken MacLeod. ,
Warriors of Alavna by N. M. Browne, and in the feature films The Last Legion.
and The Eagle. .[ edit. ] Recent discoveries.
The fort at Cawdor. is located near Inverness. .
In 1984, a candidate for a Roman fort. was identified by aerial photography.
at Easter Galcantray. , south west of Cawdor. . [106]. The site was
excavated between 1984 and 1988 and several features were identified which are
supportive of this classification. Roman pottery similar to that found at
Inchtuthill Roman fort has been discovered. [107]. If confirmed, it would be
one of the most northerly known Roman forts in the British Isles. [108].
The possibility that the legions reached further north in Scotland is suggested
by discoveries in Easter Ross. The sites of temporary camps have been proposed
at Portmahomack.
vanessa.
-----Original Message-----
From: James Liddell - Email Address: james.liddell2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent On: 13/08/2012 12:54
Sent To: qwerTÌty1234567a@xxxxxxxxx, guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx - Email Address:
qwerTÌty1234567a@xxxxxxxxx, guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: no subject
Actually, vanessa, Lidl's food store is German!
My surname, Liddell, comes from the Liddel water, Liddesdale,in the Scottish
borders!
I'm no fan of the haggis and tartan brigade - after all, tartan, while existing
from at least the twelfth century, was re-invented by Albert, German husband of
German Queen Victoria, when they bought a perfectly respectable Scots baronial
house and ruined it by creating the monstrosity called Balmoral!
As for Scots history, well, you have things a wee bit skewed. The Roman
province of Britannia never stretched to what is now Scotland - indeed, "Great"
Britain is only "Great" to distinguish it from "Lesser" Britain - Brittany, or
Breton, in what is now France!
I have a diploma in Scots history from Stirling University ( gained through
correspondence and summer schools ), my speciality being early and medieval
history up until the act of Union in 1707.
My nation's past has always fascinated me - ever since I started English at
secondary school and realised just what a pigs ear Shakespeare made of our
king, Macbeth, and his actually very prosperous and peaceful reign.
Ever since then, I've been immersed in my country's language and culture - and,
more recently, politics.
-----Original Message-----
From: vanessa - Email Address: qwerTÌty1234567a@xxxxxxxxx
Sent On: 13/08/2012 12:21
Sent To: GUIDE CHAT - Email Address: guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [guide.chat] jim
I listened to it live, it was not telling us what was happening, there was no
description of what was going on at the time of it being live and britain long
time ago there was no england, ireland, scotland or wales, we were just one
land and your surname is anglo saxon, related to lidl's food store, moved to
scotland from northumberland, cumberland and britania was ruled by a woman, her
name sounds like britanic and sumerians are older than egyptians and stonehenge
was moved from wales to england, preseli in wales is pres means money,
prestatyn means money in hand, aber is the mouth leading to the sea, bedd is
grave, llan is church, all our places mean something, we are one country that
was split by greed, the ave maria song sung with both pop and opera says it all
in the verse, war is always the choice of the chosen who do not have to fight,
the chosen as in rulers and politicians, peace be unto you, let everyone walk
all lands together as brother and sister free as the birds that fly, let there
be no war, let there be freedom and choice and let us all know right from wrong
and help one another, maybe not for the olympics, maybe for a program of your
liking like doctor who, science fiction or fact, whatever the program it should
be audio description, we want to have a description of what is happening, like
the boy is walking towards his mother, it has started to snow, it is raining
they are pulling up there umbrellas, without this audio description we do not
know, hope you will help in which ever program you watch that if it is not
audio description you will contact them, as then they will do something about
it, only mine so far is there about audio description, the other is numerous
complaints about gary lineka's comments live on the olympics, hope you like
this debate, i am putting up my shield, help.
vanessa.
-----Original Message-----
From: James Liddell - Email Address: james.liddell2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent On: 13/08/2012 11:29
Sent To: vanessa, GUIDE CHAT - Email Address: qwerty1234üa567a@xxxxxxxxÔ¨m,
guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [guide.chat] In Reply To: [guide.chat] b b c complaints telephone
number for no audio description
Vanessa;
The Olympics opening ceremony was on Freeview Red Button as it was broadcast -
live.
Not that that interested me much.
It was simply British propagandising at it's most sycophantic.
I'm not British.
I'm not proud of Britain.
I'm Scots - and proud of it!
-----Original Message-----
From: vanessa - Email Address: qwerty1234üa567a@xxxxxxxxx
Sent On: 13/08/2012 11:23
Sent To: GUIDE CHAT - Email Address: guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [guide.chat] b b c complaints telephone number for no audio description
About time we change the world we live in to make it easier on the next
generation, fed up of not knowing what they are doing, they say things oh look
at that, put this in here, what is it that they are putting there and what is
there.
The b b c continues to not put audio description on there programs for us, for
instance the olympics opening ceremony, all i heard was music, we have not a
clue what is happening until we read the news and find out there was acting of
our british history, steel works, mary poppins etcetera all in the olympic's
opening ceremony to the music, also cookery programs they say put this in here,
add some of this, put this in, add that, no description of what it is, if you
are fed up telephone or write to them, the more of us that do it, they will
listen, i telephoned and also asked for a response and asked for it to be put
in an email to me, i hope you do the same, here is the details.
There telephone number.
03700 100 222
24 hours.
Write to them, here is there address.
BBC Complaints
PO Box 1922
Darlington
DL3 0UR
from
Vanessa The Google Girl.
my skype name is rainbowstar123
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