Roman Britain

[Aquilifer]

Hi! I'm writing a series of short stories on Roman Britain and I was wondering if you could help me out. The stories are set during the Iceni revolt of 60/61. Does anyone know a more precise date for the rebellion? Also, what would have been the extent of Roman cavalry in Britain at this time? Lastly, what was the legions' average marching speed? Thanks in advance! Aquilifer

[Moonlapse]

Marching speed is approx 20 miles per day at about 20 miles per 5 hours. Max around 25 miles per 5 hours.

 

Boudicca attacked Colchester in late spring - the beginning of war season.

 

Do you need to know cavalry in the whole of Britain at the start of the revolt?

[Jimbow]

Marching speed is approx 20 miles per day at about 20 miles per 5 hours. Max around 25 miles per 5 hours.

 

 

Be careful not to confuse those hours as being modern hours. A Roman day could be longer during campaign season, 12 hours being split equally between sunup and sunset, another 12 for night (perhaps, depending on which period you want). Calculating marching speeds, etc, this way actually puts Vegetius bang on the mark.

 

Here's a good reference: Lacus Curtius page

 

Jim.

[Aquilifer]

Thanks, that's really helpful!

About the cavalry, I'm specifically interested in any that fought in the attack on Anglesey/ the Boudiccan revolt. I assume the Fourteenth would have had an Equites Legionis, but was there any more?

[Primus Pilus]

Detachments of IX Hispana were crushed by Boudicca between Londinium and Camulodunum. Reports indicate that the infantry was destroyed but the cavalry escaped. However, Tacitus gives very little detail as to what this cavalry represented. Was it auxilia or attached Equites Legionis... we simply don't know. Based on the numbers (estimated that the entire Roman force engaged in the battle may have been less than 2,000 men) I think we can make the safe assumption that this was only the attached Equites.

 

As for the final battle between Suetonius and Boudicca, both Tacitus and Cassius Dio are very vague as to the actual Roman forces.

 

Suetonius commanded about 10,000 men made up of detachments from Legio XX (later Valeria Victrix), Legio XIV Gemina (later Martia Victrix) and any auxilia he could gather. Unfortunately the ancients aren't more specific than that. We do know that Legio II Augusta (then stationed in Exeter) was not present due to the actions of its commander (for which he later committed suicide). Cassius Dio describes cavalry engagements in the battle but we can't really gather any detailed information. We should be able to assume that there were some Equite Legionis of both Legio XX and Legio XIV present. Perhaps the surviving equites from Legio IX were also present. We can also make the assumption that some of Suetonius' auxilia was Celtic cavalry, but which tribe and how many is beyond my scope.

[Aquilifer]

Thank you, that's really helpful! About the marching speeds, how long do you reckon it would take Paulinus' legions in Anglesey to arrive at London? I calculate the distance to be about 260 miles, but it might be different as I'm using modern roads and not Roman ones. I assume they went down Watling Street from Wroxeter onwards. Also, how long would it have taken messengers to reach Paulinus? I think this would be quicker as it would have been a cavalry rider who could get fresh horses every fort. Another thing I've just thought of (sorry about this!) - cavalry would have ridden British horses, wouldn't they? I think the type of horse used back then would be like one of the Fell/Dales ponies. Or am I wrong? Thanks for all your help!

[longbow]

they did use the native ponies but they did bring other breeds of equine with them when they came to Britannia, one such breed was the Arab.

 

Link

 

try this site he has info on the native breeds of pony.

L

[Aquilifer]

Thanks, that site's really useful! All of the cavalry in Britain would have been auxiliaries then? Would there have been any Romans at all in the cavalry? Also, Primus Pilus said that there would have been Celtic cavalry involved? Any idea which other provinces cavalry in Britain would have come from? I was thinking maybe Gaul or Spain, and maybe some Thracians as well?

[Primus Pilus]

This list may help but only very few would've been present in Britain circa the 60's AD.

 

Roman Britain Cavalry

 

And when I said Celtic cavalry may have been involved, keep in mind I am only making an assumption based on the time period. The province, having only been occupied for some 15 years, still maintained some traditional tribal authorities. I making an educated guess that Suetonius may have called upon allied Celtic tribes to provide some level of cavalry/infantry support in the fight against Boudicca. However, to my knowledge there is no true evidence that this happened.

[Aquilifer]

Thanks, that's another great site! Would any Roman soldiers in Britain at that time have come over with Claudius, or is it likely that there were other postings there? The only ones I can find seem to have been with Claudius, but I would have thought more troops would be sent as they expanded into Wales and Scotland.

[Primus Pilus]

The Claudian invasion force under Aulus Plautius included Legio II Augusta, IX Hispana, XIV Gemina and XX Valeria Victrix. II Augusta under the command of the future emperor Vespasian. The legions totaled 20,000 active legionaries, with an additional 20,000 to 30,000 in auxilia forces.

 

As for Claudius, he arrived several months after the initial invasion, bringing up to 38 war elephants with him, as well as heavy artillery and (some evidence suggests) detachments of Legio VIII Augusta.

 

Claudian Invasion

 

Also, the losses from IX Hispana were replaced by men of the various Rhine legions. I can't recall any specifics beyond that, but the likely candidates are III Macedonica, XXI Rapax and XXII Primigenia

 

EDIT: However these appear to be transfers by all accounts and IX Hispana continued to operate.

[Aquilifer]

So would there be any chance at all that a soldier fighting in the attack on Anglesey would be in his first battle? Or would that require an inordinate amount of artistic license and some Hollywood-esque rewriting of history? And would you be able to stretch the bounds of possibility even further and say that there might have been a Roman cavalryman in the battle? I know it was all auxiliary cavalry and no self-respecting person from Rome would be in the cavalry, but would there be any way one could be for the sake of my story? Involving some sort of convoluted an extrememely unlikely coincidences in the name of historical accuracy? My little knowledge of Roman times can't stretch to it...

[mquish]

Detachments of IX Hispana were crushed by Boudicca between Londinium and Camulodunum. Reports indicate that the infantry was destroyed but the cavalry escaped. However, Tacitus gives very little detail as to what this cavalry represented. Was it auxilia or attached Equites Legionis... we simply don't know. Based on the numbers (estimated that the entire Roman force engaged in the battle may have been less than 2,000 men) I think we can make the safe assumption that this was only the attached Equites.

 

As for the final battle between Suetonius and Boudicca, both Tacitus and Cassius Dio are very vague as to the actual Roman forces.

 

Suetonius commanded about 10,000 men made up of detachments from Legio XX (later Valeria Victrix), Legio XIV Gemina (later Martia Victrix) and any auxilia he could gather. Unfortunately the ancients aren't more specific than that. We do know that Legio II Augusta (then stationed in Exeter) was not present due to the actions of its commander (for which he later committed suicide). Cassius Dio describes cavalry engagements in the battle but we can't really gather any detailed information. We should be able to assume that there were some Equite Legionis of both Legio XX and Legio XIV present. Perhaps the surviving equites from Legio IX were also present. We can also make the assumption that some of Suetonius' auxilia was Celtic cavalry, but which tribe and how many is beyond my scope.

 

Boudicas forces were made of iceni, trinovantes and other british tribes.

[Primus Pilus]

Detachments of IX Hispana were crushed by Boudicca between Londinium and Camulodunum. Reports indicate that the infantry was destroyed but the cavalry escaped. However, Tacitus gives very little detail as to what this cavalry represented. Was it auxilia or attached Equites Legionis... we simply don't know. Based on the numbers (estimated that the entire Roman force engaged in the battle may have been less than 2,000 men) I think we can make the safe assumption that this was only the attached Equites.

 

As for the final battle between Suetonius and Boudicca, both Tacitus and Cassius Dio are very vague as to the actual Roman forces.

 

Suetonius commanded about 10,000 men made up of detachments from Legio XX (later Valeria Victrix), Legio XIV Gemina (later Martia Victrix) and any auxilia he could gather. Unfortunately the ancients aren't more specific than that. We do know that Legio II Augusta (then stationed in Exeter) was not present due to the actions of its commander (for which he later committed suicide). Cassius Dio describes cavalry engagements in the battle but we can't really gather any detailed information. We should be able to assume that there were some Equite Legionis of both Legio XX and Legio XIV present. Perhaps the surviving equites from Legio IX were also present. We can also make the assumption that some of Suetonius' auxilia was Celtic cavalry, but which tribe and how many is beyond my scope.

 

Boudicas forces were made of iceni, trinovantes and other british tribes.

 

Yes I suppose so, but why did you quote me to say it? My post has nothing to do with the tribes who revolted.

[mquish]

[

Boudicas forces were made of iceni, trinovantes and other british tribes.

 

Yes I suppose so, but why did you quote me to say it? My post has nothing to do with the tribes who revolted.

 

Sorry, i misread the post. I have a habit of doing that.