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From Readings in English History Drawn From The Original Sources by Edward P. Cheyney, Ginn and Company; Boston; 1908; pp. 22-23.

Elf. Editor comments in brackets

[22]

YEAR 100 A. D.

Tacitus’ The Early Roman Campaigns in Britain.1

Tacitus by way of introduction to his account of the campaigns of Agricola reviews briefly the manner in which the Romans brought Britain under their control



15. A sketch
of the early
connection
of the
Romans with
Britain
When the greatest of all Romans, the divine Julius, entered Britain with an army, although he terrified the inhabitants by a favorable battle and gained possession of the coast, yet he seems merely to have shown the way to future generations, not to have handed the island down to them as a possession. Civil wards succeeded, the arms of our leaders were turned against their own country, and then came a long neglect of Britain, although we were at peace. The divine Augustus was in the habit of calling this public policy, while Tiberius called it established custom. It is clearly evident that Caius Cæsar Caligula had formed a plan for entering Britain, and would have done so, if his swiftness in changing his mind, owing to his fickle disposition and his mighty undertakings against Germany, had not thwarted him. The divine Claudius, who was in favor of pressing on with the work, transported legions as well as auxiliaries, and took Vespasian to share in the undertaking, which was the beginning of the fortune in store for him: the tribes were conquered, the king captured, and Vespasian was pointed out to the fates.

Aulus Plautius, the first governor of consular rank, and immediately after him Ostorius Scapula, were both renowned in war. The nearer parts of Britain were gradually reduced to the form of a province, and a colony of veterans was established there. Certain states were presented to the king Cogidumnus, 23 who remained most loyal even to our time, in accordance with an old and long-accepted custom of the Roman people that it might have as instruments of servitude even kings. Then Didius Gallus retained the portions gained by the former governors, and even increased them by a few redoubts in the remoter parts, by which a reputation for enlarging the territory was sought. Veranius, who succeeded Didius, died within a year. After this Suetonius Paulinus for two years managed affairs successfully, overcoming tribes and strengthening garrisons. Relying on these two achievements he attacked the island of Mona, which was supplying military forces to the rebels, and exposed the settlement which was behind him to attack.



NOTES

1   From Tacitus, Agricola, cc. 13, 14.





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