Roman Invasions of Scotland
Presented by William Markham
There were Three Roman Invasions of Scotland
78 - 84AD Julius Agricola, Governor of Britain
139AD Lollius Urbicus
200AD Septimius Severus and his son Caracalla
Scotland in Ancient Times
Called Caledonia by the Romans
Inhabited by various tribes, Selgovi, Caledonii
Very warlike
Warriors painted with designs - Picti
Iron Age culture, no cities, mainly villages
No written language
Carved designs on stone
Campaigns of Agricola, 78 to 84AD
Agricola, Governor of Britain
Invasion ordered by the Emperor Vespasian
Tacitus recorded the invasion in “Agricola”
An army of 20 thousand, including Legionaries and Auxiliary troops
Campaign to complete conquest of entire British Isles
To exploit resources – metal, slaves, recruits
Vespasian
Invasion path of Agricola
Roman Marching Camps in Scotland
Battle of Mons Graupius
First recorded battle on Scottish soil
Exact site not know
30,000 Caledonians vs 20,000 Romans
Speech of Calgacus
Caledonians outflanked by Roman Cavalry
Roman Victory, Caledonians flee
10,000 Caledonians and 350 Roman deaths
Legions not involved, only Auxiliaries and Cavalry
Artists impression of the battle lines, Mons Graupius
Roman consolidation and colonisation
Forts established such as at Inchtuthil
Roman withdrawal from Scotland
Troops needed in Dacia (Romania)
Domitian, Roman Emperor
All forts abandoned
Agricola returns to Rome in triumph
Domitian
Hadrians Wall
Built in 122AD on the orders of the Emperor, Hadrian
80 miles long
Hadrian’s stops expansion and consolidates
Wall to consolidate Northern Frontier
10,000 Auxiliaries manned wall
Forts along the wall - Housesteads
Hadrian
Hadrians Wall in Roman times
The Wall as it is today
Campaigns of Lollius Urbicus, 138AD
Invasion ordered by the Emperor, Antoninus Pius
Romans build wall of turf and timber
Called the Antonine Wall
Between the Clyde and Forth Rivers
Occupied for about 20 years
Wall abandoned and troops withdrawn
Money to Caledonian Chiefs to keep peace
Antoninus Pius
British Isles at the time of Antoninus Pius
Antonine Wall
Distance slab on the wall
Antonine Wall in Roman times
Septimius Severus, 193-211AD
Governor of Britain requests help against warring Tribes
Severus and Caracalla invade Caledonia
Severus returns but tribes revolt again
“Let no one escape sheer destruction, not even the babe
in the womb of the mother” (Cassius Dio)
Severus dies in Eburacum (York) before second campaign
Caracalla makes peace with Tribes
Septimius Severus
Caracalla
Roman Fort at Carpow
Crossing of the River Tay (Taum)
Scottish Campaigns of Severus
Later Roman Britain
Hadrians Wall becomes the Northern Frontier
Caledonian Tribes form into confederation of Picts (Picti)
268AD Constantius Chlorus defeats Picts
Roman Shore forts to counter Saxon raiders
378AD Thoeodoius crushs Great Barbarian Conspiracy (Picts, Scots, Saxons)
410AD Honorius withdraws Roman Troops from Britain
Hadrians Wall abandoned Honorius
Roman Scotland in books and film
A historic fictional account of the 9th Roman Legion’s disappearance in Scotland
In reality, this Legion simply disappeared from the Roman Records.
Recent films
