| As the 1 st Century AD drew to a close, much of Iron
Age England and Wales had been brought under the yoke of
Roman rule. Around 78 or 79 AD, the governor of “Romanized” lower
Britain, Julius Agricola, turned his attention to the lands
beyond Tyne and Soloway. Through a series of determined
campaigns, Agricola pushed steadily northward, supported
by a Roman fleet that shadowed his movements just off the
Eastern coast. The local tribes were not without their
share of small victories, in one case catching the Ninth
Legion by surprise and coming close to slaughtering them.
However, the Romans persisted until the conflict came to
a head in 83AD.
The deciding battle, dubbed “Mons Graupius” by
the Romans (and from which the Grampian mountains derive
their name), Agricola faced some 30,000 warriors under
the leadership of a prominent warrior called Calgacus – “The
Swordsman.” Agricola’s 20 th Legion, together
with a weakened 9 th Legion and perhaps the 2 nd Legion
Adiutrix met the local warriors in battle on the slopes
of a hill…the exact location of which has never
been determined. Some sources favour the Aberdeenshire
range, Bennachie, as the site of the battle. Archaeolink
is situated at the foot of Bennachie, possibly in a location
that bore witness to the massacre that was to ensue. According
to the Roman historian, Tacitus, who was travelling with
Agricola and was, in fact, his son-in-law, the Romans handed
the local warriors a humiliating defeat. However, the Roman
victory was not to be complete. Due to uprisings elsewhere
in the Empire and political conflicts back in Rome, Agricola
was forced to abandon his Northern campaigns.
Hadrian’s Wall was completed in 122 AD along the
Southern lowlands of Scotland, as a defence against marauding
Northern tribes. The Antonine Campaigns of 140-142 AD pushed
the border further North of Hadrian’s Wall and resulted
in the construction of the Antonine Wall. However, the
Romans could not hold the Northern territories and were
forced to retreat back to Hadrian’s Wall. Another
Northern campaign was launched in the early part of the
3 rd Century AD, under the rule of Emperor Septimus Serverus,
but despite Roman victories, the people of the Northern
frontier could not be subjugated. Rome was forced to adopt
a policy of containment and defence against the tribes
of the North until the early part of the 5 th Century AD,
when the collapsing Empire withdrew from Britain altogether.
On site is a reconstruction of a segment of a Roman Army
Marching Camp of the Agicolan period. The protective ditch
and embankment surrounding the camp is based on the marching
camp remains at Logie Durno. The tents and equipment on
display are based on depictions from Trajan’s Column
in Rome. Activities include demonstrations of military
life, marching drills, javelin (pilum) practice
and combat displays.
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