Ancient - Roman 410
The Early Britons
The early history of every nation gradually fades away into tradition, legend fable and myth. It is sometimes impossible to draw the line between historic certainty and fanciful invention. Indisputable facts and shadowy tales are mixed together in a confusion which the lapse of ages renders inextricable. Oral testimony is certain to become modified in some particulars and expanded in others, in the course of transmission from one generation to another, and the poetic license of bards is sure to invent allogories and figments where details are wanting or where breadth of colour is desired. It should therefore be no surprise and much to be regreted, even the geographers and travellers of ancient Greece and Rome, drew largely upon their imagination and indulged freely, not only in the fabulous and the grotesque, but also in the impossible when describing distant peoples and early peoples. That the country was known by name to the greeks, so far back as three hundred and sixty years before Christ, is certain and it is probable that they knew it prior to that period. In a work ascribed to Aristotle, the British islands are mentioned as Albion and Ierne. A hundred years before the time of Aristotle, Herodotus describes the Cassiterides, or tin-islands in the farthest parts of Europe, by which he is generally supposed to have designated Cornwall and the scilly islands. The country was known to the ancient phoeicians, who traded there for tin, which mixed with copper, formed the well known bronze, or brass, of early times.
Cornwall and the romans
This metal was largely used in the construction of Solomons temple, and the chief worker was Hiram, a man of Tyre, who " was filled with the wisdom and understanding and cunning, to work all works in bronze." 1 Kings Ch Viii. Tyre was one of the cities of the Phoenicians, who were the merchants of the then known world, and as bronze could not be made without tin and as tin was only to be obtained atthat period in Spain and Britain, it is almost certain that Britain largely furnished one of the materials used in the building of that magnificent temple. When the prosperity of the Phoenicians declined, their deseedants, the Carthaginians continued their maritime and trading enterprisr, and held commercial contacts with Britain. So profitable was this, that the knowledge was kept a profound secret, in order to retain a monopoly, and especially to prevent their formidible rivals, the Romans, sharing in it.
Strabo relates that the romans, watched and following the ships the Carthaginians, as to discover whence the tin was obtained, and that on one occasion, in particular a vessel was run aground by the captain and abandoned, on finding that he could not outsail or elude the roman galley. The loss of the vessel and cargo was made up out of the public treasury as a reward for the captains public spirit. It was impossible, however that such secrecy could be permanently maintained and at length the roman colonists on the southern coast of Gaul, opened up a vigorous and lucrative trade of their own account. Strabo also also relates that the inhabitants who live near the Belerian promontory ( the lands end, Cornwall ) prepare the tin and show much skill in working the earth, which produces it. This being of a stony nature, having earthy veins in every direction, they work their way into these veins, and by means of water, separate the fragments. These they bruise into small pieces, and convey it to an island which lies in front of Britain ( probably some small inlet off the Cornish coast, for at the grat ebb of the tide the channel becomes dry, and they carry over the tin in large quantities on waggons. From Ictis the tin is purchased by native merchants, and transported to Gaul.
Antquaries are agreed tat among the earliest, if not absolutely the first known inhabitants of Britian, were the Celts, a part of the great asiatic family, who emigrated at various times into europe, and to whom the romans gave the general name of Gauls. Strabo says that they commonly slept on the bare ground, and they were addicted to human sacrifices, and they were accustomed to bringing home, the heads of their enemies and fixing them on the gates of their towns. In the course of time there was another irruption of northern barbarians, a gothic race, who swept like a wave over europe, and a branch of these the Belgae, crossed over and seized the south eastern parts of Britain, driving the old celtic inhabitants northward and westwards. The early welsh traditions are confirmatory of this. Thus there were two distinct races, the issue of two invasions, and there may have been others, not as large or important, so that the island was occupied by independent or conflicting clans or tribes, of which the names and localities of forty five are known. The roman district, subsequently called Britannia Prima, and which extended from kent to cornwall, included the Cantii, Regni, Segontiaci etc.
In the peninsula of Wales were the Silures, Ordovices and Dimetae, whose country formed the Britannia Secunda of the romans. Between the thames, the severn, the mersey, the humber and the ocean, the district afterwards named Flavia Caesariew were the Trinobantes, Iceni, Cassii etc. In the Maxima Caesariensis of the romans, which included Lancashire, West moreland, Cumberland, Yorkshire and Durham, were the Volantii, Brigantes, etc. In north britain and in scotland were nearly twenty other tribes or clans. From their prolonged contact with the phoenicans and carthaginians, the inhabitants of cornwall appear to have been considerablly more advanced than those of the other districts, and the Cantii, or people of kent, seem nearly to have equalled in civilization with the people of gaul.
Description of the Early Britions
The chief information concern the assertion of national pique or conscioueing the state of the country and the habits of the people, is only to be derived from the writings of Julius Caesar, Tacticus, Plutarch, Strabo, and Diodorus Siculus. Their accounts must be recieved with caution, many statements being only given on hearsey testimony. Caesar himself was not long enough in britain nor did he traverse tt sufficiently to be able to furnish all the information that is to be desired in estimating the character, habits and attainments of the people. The Britons were rather tall in stature, being half a foot taller than the gauls, who were superiour in height to the romans, but strabo aserts that the young britons whom he saw in rome, though tall,were not well proportioned, but rather ungainly, especially in the lower limbs. This may have been only conscious mental superiority for it is certain that the british race possessed great physical strength and prowess, and caused the roman veterans, accustomed as they were to sharp conflicts, much hard work and many severe struggles before they could subjugate the britions.They wore their hair long, and like most barbarous or semi savage tribes, sought to render their personal appearance terrible to their adversaries, by the use of woad, which gave their bodies a blue colour. The romans supposed that the juice of this plant was used merely as a stain or paint, but it is evident that the process known in modern times as "Tattooing" was extensively practised among the early britions.
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar aimed at an imperial postion, after a long career of military glory, in which he had subdued the gauls, and had thereby added to the splendour and dread of the roman name. Flushed with success, ambition rose yet higher, he had under his command a large and well disciplined army, whose attachment was such that they would follow wherever he might lead, confident that their renowned general would conduct them to new victories and to greater fame. It was not a mere caprice that lead the renowned warrior to resolve on the subjugation of britain, during his gallic wars, his opponents had been assisted by their kinsmen from britain, and caesar declared that this was the reason which induced him to invade britain. It is more probable that he was influenced by motives which it was not politic to avow, such as a desire to dazzle his countrymen, and to appear absorbed by remote projects, in order to disarm suspicion, or to furnish himself with a pretext for prolonging his distant command, and for the maintaining an army devoted to him, until the time should arrive for the carrying out of his imperial plans. In the year B.C. 55, He resolved on crossing the channel for the purpose of surveying the country, and not then with a view to conquest as he tells us the season was too far advanced and the design to subdue the people could not be executed until the following year.
Invasion of Britain By Julius Caesar B.C. 55 August 26th
Julius Caesar gathered all his available forces at Portus Iticus, between Calais and Bologne. Ambassadors came to caesar from some of the southern tribes to submit to his authority and to leave hostages. They were recievedin a very friendly manner, and were sent back with fair speeches accompanied by coumis, a gaul who had been made king of the atebatians, a belgic tribe, then settled in artois. Coumius was instructed to put himself in communication with as many british tribes as possible, and to do his utmost in preparing the way for the visit caesar intended to make. Having embarked the infantry of two legions, the seventh and the tenth, numbering over twelve thousand men on board eighty transports, set sail on August 26th, Leaving ordersfor the cavalry, who were on board eighteen other vessels, who were weather bound, in a port eight miles off, to follow as soon as they could. On reaching Dover at noon, the cliffs were seen to be crowded by native warriors, who evidently intended to dispute the landing. For three hours the vessels lay to, awaiting the arrival of the cavalry, but as they did not appear, orders were given to sail along the coast, which was done for several miles. Preparations were made to land the troops on an open flat beach near where the town of Deal now stands.
Invasion
The britons had followed the ships and crowded down to the shore, with fierce actions and loud shouts. Their horse soldiers dashing into the waves and their chariots being driven about on the beach. Caesar confesses to the bold front assumed by the natives, and to the hesitancy of his own veteran troops, where ordered to land. The engines for throwing darts, stones and other missiles, did considerable execution, and at length, the standard bearer of the tenth legion after invoking the help and favour of the gods, called upon his fellow soldiers in these words," Follow me unless you betray your ensign, for my part I will perform what I owe to the commonwealth and by general." He leaped into the water and was followed by the men of his legion, who were speedily engaged in fierce combat with the brave, but undisciplined defenders of the land. After a short, but severe struggle the beach was gained, and then the roman armsand steady discipline prevailed, over the untaught valour of the britions, who were compelled to withdraw from the scene. Their loss was not so great as it would have been, but for the absence of the roman cavalry. After this defeat the southern tribes sent ambassadors and sought peace. The conqueror reproached them for their recent hostility after they had sent envoys to gaul and required that a considerable number of hostages should be delivered to him.
Violent Storms and high tides damages the roman fleet
Four days after the battle, the cavalry transports appeared off the coast, but a violent storm arose and they were dispersed, and nost of them with difficulty returned to port whence they had sailed. That very night it being a full moon, the tide rose higher than usual and did great damage to some of the roman galleys, which were drawn up on the shore, and washed some of the heavier transports from their moorings, causing them to dash each other to pieces. This spread alarm and consternation through the camp as it was impossible for the army to remain in britain during the winter, and there was no available means of returning to gaul. This disaster threatened to be more serious, if not fatal, for the britons who were negotiating in the roman camp, perceived the extent of the damages, and the fear from it had caused, and secretly withdrew one by one to their native lands. They sent to the neighbouring tribes, and formed a confederacy to crush their late victors. In this they were nearly succesful, for the seventh legion, which had been sent out to forage was suddenly surrounded by a overwhelming multitude of britons, and was only extricated by the opportune, arrival of caesar himself, with the other legion. Returning to his intrenched camp, he waited another attack, in which he utterly, put the britons to the rout, inflicting great injury upon them, and compelling them again to sue for peace. Being wishful to retuen to gaul, before the severe weather set in, and having repaired a sufficient number of transports, he granted their request, exacting a double number of hostages, to be sent after him.
This promise not being kept, afforded a pretext for the greater invasion of the following year, which caesar had resolved upon, and to prepare for which he ordered a number of ships to be got ready during the winter, of a build more adapted for a descent upon the coast. The romans would be coming back , to stay for centuries this time.
Boudicca's Revolt Colchester ( Camulodunum ) 61 A.D.
Colchester castle - Built from the remains of the Roman temple destroyed by Boudicca
Boudicca' Revolt St. Albans ( Verulaminum ) 61 A.D.
Remains of the city walls
Battle of Watling Street A.D. 60 - 61 - Defeat and death of Queen Boudicca
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