04-24-2012, 02:11 PM
for ref here is the bit from the Annals re the retreat fom London;
[14.33] Suetonius, however, with wonderful resolution, marched amidst a hostile population to Londinium, which, though undistinguished by the name of a colony, was much frequented by a number of merchants and trading vessels. Uncertain whether he should choose it as a seat of war, as he looked round on his scanty force of soldiers, and remembered with what a serious warning the rashness of Petilius had been punished, he resolved to save the province at the cost of a single town. Nor did the tears and weeping of the people, as they implored his aid, deter him from giving the signal of departure and receiving into his army all who would go with him. Those who were chained to the spot by the weakness of their sex, or the infirmity of age, or the attractions of the place, were cut off by the enemy. Like ruin fell on the town of Verulamium, for the barbarians, who delighted in plunder and were indifferent to all else, passed by the fortresses with military garrisons, and attacked whatever offered most wealth to the spoiler, and was unsafe for defence. About seventy thousand citizens and allies, it appeared, fell in the places which I have mentioned. For it was not on making prisoners and selling them, or on any of the barter of war, that the enemy was bent, but on slaughter, on the gibbet, the fire and the cross, like men soon about to pay the penalty, and meanwhile snatching at instant vengeance.
So it's the text versus the sites, you can read this as a westward movement of the Brits, also that P was in London himself with his entire Army. But it's just a text (propoganda)Did 70k fall at London and St Albans? that doesn't seem to be what the archaeology suggests to date. Was P marching "to" or "towards"? maybe he took that view about London whilst on the march and gathered citizens who were imploring from anywhere or on London behalf. Maybe P's "Army" wasn't his full force? It's way too easy to interpret such scant text to fit any scenario we want particularly when Tacitus' motives and precision are in question even before we get to the issue of translation.
One other point, where were the garrisoned sites that were bypassed? any thoughts if this was one big mob, why would they not mop them up as they went? at least put them under siege.
[14.33] Suetonius, however, with wonderful resolution, marched amidst a hostile population to Londinium, which, though undistinguished by the name of a colony, was much frequented by a number of merchants and trading vessels. Uncertain whether he should choose it as a seat of war, as he looked round on his scanty force of soldiers, and remembered with what a serious warning the rashness of Petilius had been punished, he resolved to save the province at the cost of a single town. Nor did the tears and weeping of the people, as they implored his aid, deter him from giving the signal of departure and receiving into his army all who would go with him. Those who were chained to the spot by the weakness of their sex, or the infirmity of age, or the attractions of the place, were cut off by the enemy. Like ruin fell on the town of Verulamium, for the barbarians, who delighted in plunder and were indifferent to all else, passed by the fortresses with military garrisons, and attacked whatever offered most wealth to the spoiler, and was unsafe for defence. About seventy thousand citizens and allies, it appeared, fell in the places which I have mentioned. For it was not on making prisoners and selling them, or on any of the barter of war, that the enemy was bent, but on slaughter, on the gibbet, the fire and the cross, like men soon about to pay the penalty, and meanwhile snatching at instant vengeance.
So it's the text versus the sites, you can read this as a westward movement of the Brits, also that P was in London himself with his entire Army. But it's just a text (propoganda)Did 70k fall at London and St Albans? that doesn't seem to be what the archaeology suggests to date. Was P marching "to" or "towards"? maybe he took that view about London whilst on the march and gathered citizens who were imploring from anywhere or on London behalf. Maybe P's "Army" wasn't his full force? It's way too easy to interpret such scant text to fit any scenario we want particularly when Tacitus' motives and precision are in question even before we get to the issue of translation.
One other point, where were the garrisoned sites that were bypassed? any thoughts if this was one big mob, why would they not mop them up as they went? at least put them under siege.
