History from the Roman perspective Caledonians

in ad 83 or 84, led calgacus, caledonians defeat @ hands of gnaeus julius agricola @ mons graupius recorded tacitus. tacitus avoids using terms such king describe calgacus , uncertain whether caledonians had single leaders or whether more disparate , calgacus elected war leader only. tacitus records physical characteristics of caledonians red hair , long limbs.

in ad 180 took part in invasion of britannia, breached hadrian s wall , not brought under control several years, signing peace treaties governor ulpius marcellus. suggests capable of making formal agreements in unison despite supposedly having many different chieftains. however, roman historians used word caledonius not refer caledones themselves, of other tribes (both pictish or brythonic) living north of hadrian s wall, , uncertain whether these later limited individual groups or wider unions of tribes.

in 197 ad dio cassius records caledonians aided in further attack on roman frontier being led maeatae , brigantes , inspired removal of garrisons on hadrian s wall clodius albinus. says caledonians broke treaties had made marcellus few years earlier (dio lxxvii, 12).

the governor arrived oversee regaining of control on britannia after albinus defeat, virius lupus, obliged buy peace maeatae rather fight them.

the caledonians next mentioned in 209, when said have surrendered emperor septimius severus after led military expedition north of hadrian s wall, in search of glorious military victory. herodian , dio wrote in passing of campaign describe caledonians ceding territory rome being result. cassius dio records caledonians inflicted 50,000 roman casualties due attrition , unconventional tactics such guerrilla warfare. dr. colin martin has suggested severan campaigns did not seek battle instead sought destroy fertile agricultural land of eastern scotland , thereby bring genocide of caledonians through starvation.

by 210 however, caledonians had re-formed alliance maeatae , joined fresh offensive. punitive expedition led severus son, caracalla, sent out purpose of slaughtering encountered of northern tribes. severus meanwhile prepared total conquest ill; died @ eboracum (modern day york) in britannia in 211. caracalla attempted take on command when troops refused recognise him emperor, made peace caledonians , retreated south of hadrian s wall press claim imperial title. sheppard frere suggests caracalla briefly continued campaign after father s death rather leaving, citing apparent delay in arrival in rome , indirect numismatic , epigraphic factors suggest may instead have concluded war dio s hostility towards subject led him record campaign ending in truce. malcolm todd considers there no evidence support this. nonetheless caledonians did retake territory , pushed romans hadrian s wall.

in event, there no further historical mention of caledonians century save c. ad 230 inscription colchester records dedication man calling himself nephew (or grandson) of uepogenus, [a] caledonian . may because severus campaigns successful caledonians wiped out, highly unlikely.

in 305, constantius chlorus re-invaded northern lands of britain although sources vague on claims of penetration far north , great victory on caledones , others (panegyrici latini vetares, vi (vii) vii 2). event notable in includes first recorded use of term pict describe tribes of area.