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An Unnecessary War

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 November 2011

Michael G. Jarrett
Michael G. Jarrett
Affiliation:
University College, Cardiff
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Extract

Professor Rivet once wrote ‘One curious feature of Romano-British studies must be noted. This is the tendency, perhaps due to the intractable nature of the evidence, to create myths.’ It is the purpose of this paper to examine the evidence for one of those myths. It is not intended to investigate its origin or development, instructive though that might be.

Type
Articles
Information
Britannia , Volume 7 , November 1976 , pp. 145 - 151
Copyright
Copyright © Michael G. Jarrett 1976. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

1 A. L. F. Rivet, Town and country in Roman Britain (1958), 29. I am grateful to Dr. Brian Dobson for reading a draft of this paper and suggesting several improvements.

2 Birley, E., Durham University Journal 1948, more conveniently accessible in his Roman Britain and the Roman army (Kendal 1953), 26–29Google Scholar; cf. 37–39. Professor Birley acknowledges his debt to Ritterling, RE 12 (1925), 1668–9. The concept has been adopted in most general works on Roman Britain in recent years, and the author has, for once, been in agreement with other scholars. The exception is Sir Ian Richmond; but it is not clear whether it was incredulity or brevity which led him to exclude the alleged fighting from his Roman Britain.Google Scholar

3 SHA Hadrian 5, 2.

4 RIC 577a, 577b.

5 Cornelius Fronto, Loeb ed., 2, 22 = Naber p. 218.

6 Cassius Dio 69, 13, 2.

7 ILS 1056 + add. PIR 2 i, 576, where the dating of his transfer to Judaea is probably too late. Birley, A. R., Epigraphische Studien 4 (1967), 70–71 + 100. His cursus duly reveals him as governor of Moesia Inferior before appointment to Britain.Google Scholar

8 CIL x 5829 = ILS 2726. For a discussion, see Pflaum, H.-G., Les carrières procuratoriennes équestres sous le haut-empire romain (Paris 1960–1961), 286–88 + 973.Google Scholar

9 E.g. CIL ii 2424; RIB 814 (discussed below) may also be relevant.

10 Dobson, B., Ancient Society 3 (1972), 193–207.Google Scholar

11 CIL xi 5632 = ILS 2735. For a discussion, see Pflaum, op. cit. (note 8), 292–95 + 973.

12 RIB 823–26.

13 E.g. CW2 65 (1965), 124–26. Hadrian's visit to Britain provides the most likely context for a meeting with Agrippa.Google Scholar

14 CW2 39 (1939), 19–30.Google Scholar

15 Jarrett, M. G., Maryport, Cumbria: a Roman fort and its garrison (Kendal 1976).Google Scholar

16 CW1 70 (1970), 40–47.Google Scholar

17 Cf. Davies, R. W., Epigraphische Studien 4 (1967), 108–11.Google Scholar

18 RIB 814; for a discussion, see Jarrett, M. G., CW2 65 (1965), 120–22, putting the case for Cornelianus as prae[fec]tus. The alternative reading prae[posi]tus is suggested in RIB.Google Scholar

19 RIC 845, 846, 912, 913.

20 RIC 882.

21 Birley, E., ‘The fate of the Ninth Legion’, in Butler, R. M. (ed.), Soldier and civilian in Roman Yorkshire (Leicester 1971), 71–80.Google Scholar

22 RIB 665 is its latest record in Britain; it had disappeared by the reign of Severus, when it is omitted from a list of legions then in existence, ILS 2288. See now Eck, W., ‘Zum Ende der legio IX Hispana’ Chiron 2 (1972), 459–62, with argument for survival into the reign of Pius; the case is not proven.Google Scholar

23 The date of the second scheme is given by inscriptions of Platorius Nepos from Benwell and Haltonchesters. RIB 1340 and 1427; he can scarcely have been in Britain later than 126.

24 Assuming that the newly discovered fort at Wickham (Britannia ii (1971), 250) belongs to the Stanegate system, and that the road crossed the Tyne by the lowest pre-Hadrianic bridge, at Corbridge.Google Scholar

25 RIB 1736 (Greatchesters) and 801 (Moresby) are assignable to 128–138. RIB 739 (Bowes) and 1550 (Carrowburgh) belong to the governorship of Julius Severus (but see R. W. Davies, op. cit. in note 17). RIB 1778 = ILS 2551 (Carvoran) enables us to date RIB 1818 and 1820 to the last years of the reign.