03-03-2005, 12:16 AM
Obviously, it would be impossible to make any real guesses about the possible story behind this discovery without knowing more about the skeletal remains, but the date given (approx 200AD) does suggest some interesting possibilities.<br>
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As far as I know, Severus' British campaign was confined totally to the territory north of the wall, the lands of the Caledonii and the Maeatae. The area around York had been largely pacified in the northern war of Julius Verus (against the Briganti) in the 150s. However, I did think of a couple of other possibilities:<br>
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1. Dio (I believe) describes an uprising of the northern tribes (Caledonii and Maetae) in 197. Peace was purchased by the governor Virius Lupus, who appears to have received captives from the tribes as hostages. These captives would, perhaps, have been the sons of the tribal chiefs, therefore young men of high status. When the northern tribes refused to abide by the treaties and once more rebelled (as suggested by Dio) c.205, could it have been that these hostages paid the penalty for the perfidity of their people? High status victims might explain the care taken in their burial...<br>
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2. Dio also mentions a mutiny by the British garrison in 186 - they raised a legionary commander (tribune?) called Priscus as emperor. The uprising was put down by Pertinax - seeing as York was a large legion base, it could be expected that mutineers from York would have executed by Pertinax - as Roman citizens, they would have been buried with some respect (perhaps by their own comrades), even if they died the traditional death of rebels (i.e. beheading - why that YAT fellow thought the Romans didn't behead people I don't know. Has he never heard of Sulla? )<br>
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As far as I know, Severus' British campaign was confined totally to the territory north of the wall, the lands of the Caledonii and the Maeatae. The area around York had been largely pacified in the northern war of Julius Verus (against the Briganti) in the 150s. However, I did think of a couple of other possibilities:<br>
<br>
1. Dio (I believe) describes an uprising of the northern tribes (Caledonii and Maetae) in 197. Peace was purchased by the governor Virius Lupus, who appears to have received captives from the tribes as hostages. These captives would, perhaps, have been the sons of the tribal chiefs, therefore young men of high status. When the northern tribes refused to abide by the treaties and once more rebelled (as suggested by Dio) c.205, could it have been that these hostages paid the penalty for the perfidity of their people? High status victims might explain the care taken in their burial...<br>
<br>
2. Dio also mentions a mutiny by the British garrison in 186 - they raised a legionary commander (tribune?) called Priscus as emperor. The uprising was put down by Pertinax - seeing as York was a large legion base, it could be expected that mutineers from York would have executed by Pertinax - as Roman citizens, they would have been buried with some respect (perhaps by their own comrades), even if they died the traditional death of rebels (i.e. beheading - why that YAT fellow thought the Romans didn't behead people I don't know. Has he never heard of Sulla? )<br>
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Nathan Ross
