Mons Graupius Identified
The Agricola Chapter 26
Key aspects;
So far so good but the Caledonians, correctly identifying the weakest, most exposed Roman battlegroup gather their forces together and attack and almost over-run the battlegroup of the IXth legion. This attack is fought off only with difficulty and reliance on a relief column led by Agricola.
For a fuller discussion of these events, see the addendum to this article.
The Agricola Chapter 27
Key aspects;
Without further to-do, Agricola, despite Tacitus shameless propaganda spin over what was at worst a near disaster, and at best hardly a glowing strategic performance by Agricola, retires south to his winter quarters to reconsider forthcoming operations in the north, with the events of the year leaving:
“…………angry feelings excited on both sides”.
Meantime the Caledonians, at last fully realised the enormity of the threat and need the to co-operate together through treaty, a doubtful outcome if the tribes had considered themselves already beaten in battle and physically “overrun” (enveloped) in that year as Tacitus would like us to believe. Clearly they did not.
Tacitus has to work hard in order - without telling barefaced lies - to give an impression other than “Rounds 1 and 2 to the Caledonians!”
The Agricola Chapter 28
Key aspects;
This chapter is generally considered to be an oratotory device, inserted into the narrative to relieve the pace before picking up the tempo again for the battle in the following chapters.
It is of interest mainly as it is regarded that the events of the Usipis mutiny, clearly on the west coast, most likely took place at Vindogara - probably modern Irvine in Ayrshire.
This then is corroborative evidence that the Roman navy also had units in the west in 82 AD who - while the bulk of the navy in the east co-operated with the land forces - penetrated the “secret places of their sea” *
* Note: the Atlantic and the Irish Sea were then known as Oceanus “Duecaledonius”, a fairly accurate description of “their sea”.
It is interesting to speculate therefore that it may have been the activity of these units – probably a flotilla our two originally from Deva (Chester) and currently operating out of Vindogara – who harried the Caledonian communities around the western seaboard and the lochs that penetrate deep inland, an action that stung the Caledonians into the retaliatory action that ultimately cost the Romans so dear in 82 AD.
NEXT PAGE: The Agricola Chapter 29
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First Published February 2009
