09-16-2016, 11:21 AM
Nathan wrote:
Yes. It's interesting that all the fighting in Britain we know about (Boudica excepted), following the immediate invasion campaign, seems to have happened in the far west, Wales and the north.
It could be that the peoples of the south-east and Midlands, perhaps due to a closer affinity or cultural connection with the Gauls of the continent, perhaps a more developed social system or economy, found it easier to assimilate to Roman control and live under Roman laws and taxation.
This is a valid point and well made and trading with the Roman Empire always carried taxes which merchants were prepared to pay . It also helped with the Client Kingdoms of course seeing themselves as allies as opposed to a conquered race.
It was interesting that the Brythonic Royal Quarters near Colchester were left standing and relationships early on seem in the South and East to have been relatively cordial allowing the rest of the country to be conquered over that period.
It seems to have gone downhill once the investors and veterans arrived and the local aristocracy trying to afford priesthoods etc. in the Roman fashion which beggared some.
Nathan wrote:
The more I think about it, the less inclined I am to see Cerialis's defeat as the result of an ambush. While it would have been possible to ambush a small Roman column by surprise, or cut off a foraging party, Cerialis was advancing into a hostile country and would have been on his guard. Unless he was incompetent (which seems not to have been the case) he would have had scouts all around him keeping him informed of enemy movements. We know from Arrian that the Romans could deploy from line of march to line of battle very quickly - unless the Britons managed to rush upon Cerialis in vast numbers and at great speed, he would have had time to prepare himself for a pitched battle.
I still reflect on Varus and although he was led into a trap by a trusted ally it does show that a large force (three legions) can be ambushed and annihilated however unless the Ninth’s commander was more than just rash I agree that he should have had his scouts deployed and have been ready for the fray so perhaps he was able to give formal battle.
If that was the case it would be a first for the Brythons to win a formal battle against the Romans and it may have been this that gave them the confidence and the extra weapons for the next battle against SP.
Yes. It's interesting that all the fighting in Britain we know about (Boudica excepted), following the immediate invasion campaign, seems to have happened in the far west, Wales and the north.
It could be that the peoples of the south-east and Midlands, perhaps due to a closer affinity or cultural connection with the Gauls of the continent, perhaps a more developed social system or economy, found it easier to assimilate to Roman control and live under Roman laws and taxation.
This is a valid point and well made and trading with the Roman Empire always carried taxes which merchants were prepared to pay . It also helped with the Client Kingdoms of course seeing themselves as allies as opposed to a conquered race.
It was interesting that the Brythonic Royal Quarters near Colchester were left standing and relationships early on seem in the South and East to have been relatively cordial allowing the rest of the country to be conquered over that period.
It seems to have gone downhill once the investors and veterans arrived and the local aristocracy trying to afford priesthoods etc. in the Roman fashion which beggared some.
Nathan wrote:
The more I think about it, the less inclined I am to see Cerialis's defeat as the result of an ambush. While it would have been possible to ambush a small Roman column by surprise, or cut off a foraging party, Cerialis was advancing into a hostile country and would have been on his guard. Unless he was incompetent (which seems not to have been the case) he would have had scouts all around him keeping him informed of enemy movements. We know from Arrian that the Romans could deploy from line of march to line of battle very quickly - unless the Britons managed to rush upon Cerialis in vast numbers and at great speed, he would have had time to prepare himself for a pitched battle.
I still reflect on Varus and although he was led into a trap by a trusted ally it does show that a large force (three legions) can be ambushed and annihilated however unless the Ninth’s commander was more than just rash I agree that he should have had his scouts deployed and have been ready for the fray so perhaps he was able to give formal battle.
If that was the case it would be a first for the Brythons to win a formal battle against the Romans and it may have been this that gave them the confidence and the extra weapons for the next battle against SP.
Deryk
