Early Roman Empire, Flavian Dynasty (69-96), 10 Titus: Further conquest in Britain [2/3]

10 TITUS (41; r.79.06-81.09)

Titus was popular with the army but the severity of his methods as praetorian prefect caused many Roman citizens to regard him as cruel and were also scandalised by his affair with the Jewish princess Berenice of Cilicia (53+; fl.67-81+), the sister of Herod Agrippa II (c.69; fl.48-c.96).

When Vespasian died in 79, Titus was immediately proclaimed emperor and, aware of his bad reputation, he decided to acquire a more liberal image as emperor. He sent Berenice back to Judaea, spent lavish sums of money on games and shows, completed the Flavian amphitheatre (Colosseum), and constructed the baths that carry his name.

At this time, ⁰⁸Terentius Maximus, a native of Asia province and claiming to be Nero, was moving eastwards towards the Euphrates, gathering supporters as he went. The Parthian king, Artabanus IV (r.80-81), was contemplating an attack on the Roman Empire and intended to restore the false Nero to the throne, but his pretence was exposed and he was killed.

During his short reign Titus had to grapple with three great disasters – the volcanic eruption of Mt Vesuvius (24 August 79), a great fire in Rome (80), and an outbreak of plague. Titus gave generously from the public funds to help alleviate the suffering of those involved in these disasters. In September 81 he died unexpectedly, apparently from an attack fever.

Further conquest in Britain (78-84) [2/3]

Immediately on his arrival in Britain in 78, the new governor ²⁶Julius Agricola was faced by a rebellion of the Ordovices (central-north Wales) who had surprised and routed a Roman cavalry unit operating in their territory. In the late summer Agricola defeated the Ordovices in the hills, they having refused to face him in the plain, and pursued them to Mona (=Anglesey, off northwest Wales), the holy island of the Druids. Not having the time to build boats Agricola ordered his troops to swim across the Menai Strait. After the troops established themselves on the other side, the Druids and tribes on the island, cowed by this exploit, surrendered. 

This marked the end of the campaigning season and the troops dispersed to their winter quarters. The Legio XX Valeria Victrix remained at Deva (=Chester, Cheshire, northwest England), close to the northeast border of Wales, to deter any further outbreaks by the Welsh tribes.

In 79 Agricola decided to advance the Roman border northwards to a line that would serve as a natural frontier. He placed garrisons and forts up both sides of Britain along lines that would later be the routes of the two great roads from Newcastle (=Pons Aelius, AD 122) to York and Manchester (=Mancunium, AD 79) to Carlisle. A line of forts from the Solway Firth to the Tyne (where Hadrian’s Wall would be built) would surround the Brigantes and they would have no choice but to submit. He then learned that there was a still shorter line ninety miles farther to the north, from Clyde to Forth, and decided to advance to it.

In 80 Agricola set out to subdue the lands north of Tyne and Solway. The Roman earth fort at Trimontium (=Newstead) east of Melrose (Berwickshire), and the small fort at Cappuck near Jedburgh (Roxburghshire) on Dere Street (the road between York and the Roman camps in Scotland), are attributed to Agricola this year.

Advancing still further in 81, Agricola reached the northern isthmus on the line of the Forth and Clyde. In 82 he turned his attention to the southwest and toyed with the idea of crossing to Ireland, but decided to return to central Scotland in order to push on from Stirling to the Tay River and beyond.

In 83 Agricola built and garrisoned two great forts, one at Ardoch near Braco in Perthshire, and the other at Inchtuthil on the north (left) bank of the Tay. In late summer, somewhere beyond this river, Agricola fought his famous battle at Mons Graupius and destroyed the assembled armies of Caledonia (=northern Scotland) under their chieftain, Calgacus.

In 84 Agricola sent his fleet around the north coast of Britain, thus for the first time proved Britain to be an island, and took his army eastwards to meet the fleet at the Clyde. Domitian, perhaps fearing that the Empire’s resources were being overcommitted in Britannia, recalled him to Rome and the Roman army began retreating from Scotland.