Figure 1.--Section of Hadrian's Wall are very well peserved because of it's stione construction. This is the Housesteads Roman Fort located on Hadrian’s Wall.

There are no written records of Scotland until the arrival of the Romans (1st century AD). Thus the first written accounts of Scotland come from the Romans after thir arrival in Briton. Scotland in antiquity was known by the Romans as Caledoinia. The Romans after subduing what is now England and Wales pushed north. Roman General Gnaeus Julius Agricola invaded Caledonia in the late 1st century AD and drove north of the Firth of Forth to an area near modern Aberdeen. Here he defeated the Caledonii (94), but was then recalled leaving the Caledonii and related northern tribes to recover. The Caledonii and other rebelious Britons pushed north by the Romans appeared to have successfully reoccupied the area between the Firth of Fourth and the Clyde. It is unclear if the rebelious tribes military victories or the Romans concluded that the cost of the militry campign was not worth the territory to be gained. This is interesting because a later generation of Scotts--the Scotts-Irish played a critical role in stopping anoher great imperial power--the British. The Scotts-Irish on the Frontier played a major role in the American Revoutionary War. What is now England, Wales, and the Scottish Lowlands became Roman province of Britannia. The fierce Picts, despite their lack of formal discipline and advanced weaponry, suceeded in preventing the undefeated Roman Army from conquering the northern part of Britain. [McHardy] The absence of a centralized political organization may have proved an advantage and slowly the idea of national identity and political union seems to have grown. Resistance in the north was so troublesome that the Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of a defensive wall from Solvay Firth to the mouth of the River Tyne which is today known as Hadrian's Wall (122 AD). Another wall was subsequently constructed further north which became known as the Wall of Pius or the Antonine Wall (140s). It was named after he emperor at the time -- Antoninus Pius. This wall extended from the Firth of Fourth to the Firth of Clyde. The area between the two walls became the Roman first line of defense against the the northern tribes (Caledonians and Miathi who developed into the Pictish kingdom). Eventually the Romans tired of the Pictish Wars and retired to the southern or Hadrian's Wall. The area south of the Wall of Pius, however, became partially Romanized and this endured into Medieval and modern times as the Wall of Pius is roughly the dividing line between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands, a major cultural artifact that would affect Scottish history. Emperor Severus disturned with raids conducted by the by the northern tribes personally came to Britain to lead a campaign to subdue them (208). He had little success. The Picts are described along with other Caledonians by Constantius Chlorus who conducted the third major campaign against them (296).

The Beginning of Written History

There are no written records of Scotland until the arrival of the Romans (1st century AD). Thus the first written accounts of Scotland come from the Romans after thir arrival in Briton. Scotland in antiquity was known by the Romans as Caledoinia.

Roman Advance North

The Romans after subduing what is now England and Wales pushed north. Roman General Gnaeus Julius Agricola invaded Caledonia in the late 1st century AD and drove north of the Firth of Forth to an area near modern Aberdeen. Here he defeated a group he idintified as the Caledonii (94). The Caledonians, sometimes referred to as the Caledonian Confederacy, were a Brittonic-speaking tribal confederacy. They were the most important grop in the north resisting the Romans. The Greek form of the tribal name gave rise to the name Caledonia for their territory, name still in popular use. Historians for many years viewed the Calledinii as a group of Britons, but most modern historians think they mire acurately should be viwed as Picts, a related people who also spoke a Brittonic language. The Caledonians/Picts Britons were the only grouo in Bruton which sucessfully resisted the Romans as they cnquered abd administered their new province of Britannia.

Caldoni/Picts Recover

Agricola was then recalled leaving the Caledonii and related northern Pictish tribes to recover. The Caledonii and other rebelious Britons pushed north by the Romans appeared to have successfully reoccupied the area between the Firth of Fourth and the Clyde. It is unclear if the rebelious tribes military victories or the Romans concluded that the cost of the militry campign was not worth the territory to be gained. This is interesting because a later generation of Scotts--the Scotts-Irish played a critical role in stopping anoher great imperial power--the British. The Scotts-Irish on the Frontier played a major role in the American Revoutionary War.

Pictish Identity

The fierce Picts, despite their lack of formal discipline and advanced weaponry, suceeded in preventing the undefeated Roman Army from conquering the northern part of Britain. [McHardy] The absence of a centralized political organization may have proved an advantage and slowly the idea of national identity and political union seems to have grown.

The Walls

Resistance in the north was so troublesome that the Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of a defensive wall from Solvay Firth to the mouth of the River Tyne which is today known as Hadrian's Wall (122 AD). Another wall was subsequently constructed further north which became known as the Wall of Pius or the Antonine Wall (140s). It was named after he emperor at the time -- Antoninus Pius. This wall extended from the Firth of Fourth to the Firth of Clyde. The area between the two walls became the Roman first line of defense against the the northern tribes (Caledonians and Miathi who developed into the Pictish kingdom). Unlike England and Wales, there are little or no Roman remains in Scotland other than the Walls which have been the subject of extensive study. Hadrians Wall is the mkost substantial amd large areas are well preserved. The ntonine Wall to the north was less substanial. It was a turf fortification on stone foundations. Its ruins are not as well preservd because the turf and wood cnstruction has largely weathered away in contrast to the stone-constructed southern Hadrian's Wall. It was the northern Antonine Wall that for a time faced the Pictish tribes. The Roman builders inserted scultured bloks brightly painted red and yellow into the Wall, a kind of propaganda device to grapgically demobstrate Rome's superu=iority.

The Lowlands

What is now England, Wales, and the Scottish Lowlands became Roman province of Britannia. Eventually the Romans tired of the Pictish Wars and retired to the southern or Hadrian's Wall. The area south of the Wall of Pius, however, became partially Romanized and this endured into Medieval and modern times as the Wall of Pius is roughly the dividing line between the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands, a major cultural artifact that would affect Scottish history.

Frther Roman Offensives

Emperor Severus disturned with raids conducted by the by the northern tribes personally came to Britain to lead a campaign to subdue them (208). He had little success. The Picts are described along with other Caledonians by Constantius Chlorus who conducted the third major campaign against them (296).

Sources

Adomná. Life of Columba.

Cummins, W.A. The Age of the Picts (Alan Sutton: 1995), 166p.

Henshall, Audrey. "Early Textiles Found in Scotland," Part I – Locally Made (PSAS: 1951-52), pp. 1-29.

McHardy, A New History of the Picts.

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Created: 12:43 PM 7/5/2018
Last updated: 12:43 PM 7/5/2018