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A
Short History Of Scotland
Scotland
and the Romans.
If
we could see in a magic mirror the country now called Scotland
as it was when the Romans under Agricola (81 A.D.) crossed the
Border, we should recognise little but the familiar hills and
mountains. The rivers, in the plains, overflowed their present
banks; dense forests of oak and pine, haunted by great red deer,
elks, and boars, covered land that has long been arable. There
were lakes and lagoons where for centuries there have been fields
of corn. On the oldest sites of our towns were groups of huts
made of clay and wattle, and dominated, perhaps, by the large
stockaded house of the tribal prince. In the lochs, natural
islands, or artificial islets made of piles crannogs, afforded
standing-ground and protection to villages, if indeed these
lake-dwellings are earlier in Scotland than the age of war that
followed the withdrawal of the Romans.
The
natives were far beyond the savage stage of culture. They lived
in an age of iron tools and weapons and of wheeled vehicles;
and were in what is called the Late Celtic condition of art
and culture, familiar to us from beautiful objects in bronze
work, more commonly found in Ireland than in Scotland, and from
the oldest Irish romances and poems.
In
these “epics” the manners much resemble those described
by Homer. Like his heroes, the men in the Cuchullain sagas fight
from light chariots, drawn by two ponies, and we know that so
fought the tribes in Scotland encountered by Agricola the Roman
General (81-85 A.D.) It is even said in the Irish epics that
Cuchullain learned his chariotry in Alba, that is, in our Scotland.
The warriors had “mighty limbs and flaming hair,”
says Tacitus. Their weapons were heavy iron swords, in bronze
sheaths beautifully decorated, and iron-headed spears; they
had large round bronze-studded shields, and battle-axes. The
dress consisted of two upper garments: first, the smock, of
linen or other fabric, in battle, often of tanned hides of animals,
and the mantle, or plaid, with its brooch. Golden torques and
heavy gold bracelets were worn by the chiefs; the women had
bronze ornaments with brightly coloured enamelled decoration.
Agriculture
was practised, and corn was ground in the circular querns of
stone, of which the use so long survived. The women span and
wove the gay smocks and darker cloaks of the warriors.
Of
the religion, we only know that it was a form of polytheism;
that sacrifices were made, and that Druids existed; they were
soothsayers, magicians, perhaps priests, and were attendant
on kings.
Such
were the people in Alba whom we can dimly descry around Agricola’s
fortified frontier between the firths of Forth and Clyde, about
81-82 A.D. When Agricola pushed north of the Forth and Tay he
still met men who had considerable knowledge of the art of war.
In his battle at Mons Graupius, perhaps at the junction of Isla
and Tay, his cavalry had the better of the native chariotry
in the plain; and the native infantry, descending from their
position on the heights, were attacked by his horsemen in their
attempt to assail his rear. But they were swift of foot, the
woods sheltered and the hills defended them. He made no more
effectual pursuit than Cumberland did at Culloden.
Agricola
was recalled by Domitian after seven years’ warfare, and
his garrisons did not long hold their forts on his lines or
frontier, which stretched across the country from Forth to Clyde;
roughly speaking, from Graham’s Dyke, east of Borrowstounnis
on the Firth of Forth, to Old Kilpatrick on Clyde. The region
is now full of coal-mines, foundries, and villages; but excavations
at Bar Hill, Castlecary, and Roughcastle disclose traces of
Agricola’s works, with their earthen ramparts. The Roman
station at Camelon, north-west of Falkirk, was connected with
the southern passes of the Highland hills by a road with a chain
of forts. The remains of Roman pottery at Camelon are of the
first century.
Two
generations after Agricola, about 140-145, the Roman Governor,
Lollius Urbicus, refortified the line of Forth to Clyde with
a wall of sods and a ditch, and forts much larger than those
constructed by Agricola. His line, “the Antonine Vallum,”
had its works on commanding ridges; and fire-signals, in case
of attack by the natives, flashed the news “from one sea
to the other sea,” while the troops of occupation could
be provisioned from the Roman fleet. Judging by the coins found
by the excavators, the line was abandoned about 190, and the
forts were wrecked and dismantled, perhaps by the retreating
Romans.
After
the retreat from the Antonine Vallum, about 190, we hear of
the vigorous “unrest” of the Meatæ and Caledonians;
the latter people are said, on very poor authority, to have
been little better than savages. Against them Severus made an
expedition indefinitely far to the north, but the enemy shunned
a general engagement, cut off small detachments, and caused
the Romans terrible losses in this march to a non-existent Moscow.
Not
till 306 do we hear of the Picts, about whom there is infinite
learning but little knowledge. They must have spoken Gaelic
by Severus’s time, whatever their original language; and
were long recognised in Galloway, where the hill and river names
are Gaelic.
The
later years of the Romans, who abandoned Britain in 410, were
perturbed by attacks of the Scoti (Scots) from Ireland, and
it is to a settlement in Argyll of “Dalriadic” Scots
from Ireland about 500 A.D. that our country owes the name of
Scotland.
Rome
has left traces of her presence on Scottish soil, vestiges of
the forts and vallum wall between the firths; a station rich
in antiquities under the Eildons at Newstead; another, Ardoch,
near Sheriffmuir; a third near Solway Moss, Birrenswark; and
others less extensive, with some roads extending towards the
Moray Firth; and a villa at Musselburgh, found in the reign
of James VI.
Andrew
Lang.
Roman
Scotland (Historic Scotland S.)
The Romans tried to conquer Scotland three times 2000 years
ago. These forays have left their mark, which can still be seen
in the form of earthworks, the remains of forts and frontiers
constructed by the army. This study shows the effect of these
periods of occupation on Scotland and its people.
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