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Why didn\'t the Romans conquer Scotland?
#16
Quote: Do we know of any metal deposits in Scotland during that period?
IIRC, the lack of precious metals etc. in Scotland is one of the reasons often given for the Romans not bothering to consolidate their hold on the place, as they did much further south in Cornwall, where there was tin (and lead?)
Ben Kane, bestselling author of the Eagles of Rome, Spartacus and Hannibal novels.

Eagles in the Storm released in UK on March 23, 2017.
Aguilas en la tormenta saldra en 2017.


www.benkane.net
Twitter: @benkaneauthor
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#17
Quote:Still, why would Rome would be so willing (at least under Domitian it seems) to attempt to hold onto Scotland, & then so willing to give it up under Nerva? Was it just Domitian trying to live up to his father & brother?

Quote:Apparently there was a change of emperors and the new guy decided to move the legion back south again--just BEFORE they finished building their new fortress!

As far as I know, there's nothing to suggest that Inchtuthil was abandoned after the reign of Domitian. Tacitus claims that Britain was 'given up' under that emperor, but in this case we don't have to just take his word for it: unworn coins were found at Inchtuthil dating to 86, but none for 87 or any later year. This corresponds with the suggested transfer of legion II Adiutrix to the Danube around this same year. The withdrawal from the conquests in Scotland was Domitian's work, then, not that of Nerva or Trajan.

Or is there some new evidence, perhaps? Wikipedia notes that "recent archaeology has cast some doubt on this [date for evacuation], indicating that the fortress may have been in use for considerably longer than previously thought." But there's no reference to this 'evidence', and nothing I can find suggests what it might be :? //www.theromangaskproject.org.uk/Pages/Introduction/Agricola-hecame.html:95sl3gum]The Roman Gask Project[/url]). Was this the 'recent archeology', or is there something else?

Another interesting essay, following up on the Breeze one: More Thoughts on why the Romans Failed to Conquer Scotland

- Nathan
Nathan Ross
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#18
Quote:Wikipedia notes that "recent archaeology has cast some doubt on this [date for evacuation], indicating that the fortress may have been in use for considerably longer than previously thought." But there's no reference to this 'evidence', and nothing I can find suggests what it might be :? .
Typical Wikipedia. There has been no recent work at Inchtuthil: RCAHMS Site Record for Inchtuthil.
posted by Duncan B Campbell
https://ninth-legion.blogspot.com/
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#19
I think we have to look at the many major military and political events that took place from the time of Domitian right on thro' to Hadrian. The major withdrawal from Scotland in 98AD may well have been the idea of Domitian but not put into effect until Trajan came along.
Then when we look at the plans of Trajan he went off into Dacia and then eastward, therefore there was never any great thoughts for such a task. There was a frontier line of forts laid across Britain from eastcoast to westcoast, but then everything began to fall apart at the advent of Hadrian.
This line was revised later by Hadrian with his stone wall and later another wall put further north by Antoninus Pius but then again things begin to fall apart elsewere as the Empire started to go very fast into decline.
The war of Septimius Severus was where he had to put to right what Clodius Albinus had caused to the provinnce, but then his death sent them all off into the east again.
Brian Stobbs
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