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47 
subject with the consideration it deserves, in the limits of a single 
paper ; still, enough can be given in outline to bring out the main 
arguments, and to point out a fresh theory, should the old ones be 
found wanting. 
We shall begin, then, by considering the principles that have 
been advocated by antiquarians in their attempts to unravel the 
much-vexed question as to the identification of the various stations, 
but specially with regard to those more immediately connected 
with Cumberland. For this purpose we shall divide the various 
authorities dealing with the subject into three classes, viz: First, 
Those who have been mainly guided by sound; Secondly, Those 
who have considered the question almost entirely as an etymological 
one; and, Thirdly, Those who have followed a much more rational 
principle, namely, that of geographical sequence, such sequence 
being decided—so far as the Rornan Wall is concerned—by the 
Notitia. 
Before dealing with these various classes, it may be as well, for 
a few moments, to clear the ground by a few general explanations. 
Thus, the ‘‘Notitia” of which we shall often have to speak, was the 
Military and Civil Service List of the Roman Empire. It is 
generally supposed to have been compiled towards the close of the 
Roman occupation of Britain; in fact, we are told that we may 
for certain reasons ‘‘infer, with some degree of confidence, that it 
was compiled in or about the year 403.” (Hodgson Hinde, Intro- 
duction to History of Northumberland, p. 19.) It contains, so far as 
Britain is concerned, lists of the various stations, together with the 
garrisons, under the immediate government of the Dux Britanniarum 
and the Comes littoris Saxonici. 
The ‘Itineraries of Antonine” give us the names and distances 
from each other of the towns and stations on the principal military 
roads. ‘This great Itinerarium is supposed to have been compiled 
about A D. 320. (Celt, Roman, and Saxon, 3rd Ed., p. 145.) 
Another list is known as the Ravenna List. This was compiled 
by an ‘anonymous geographer of Ravenna, who wrote about the 
middle of the 7th century,” this list being probably made from 
maps of the various provinces on which he treats. (Celt, Roman, 
and Saxon, pp. 145, 536.) 
