s 
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suggest that the Vallum, or second impediment the Romans had to encounter, was 
nothing else than a hill which was strongly fortified ‘‘in modum valli.” But this 
Vallum is spoken of in the 35th chapter as an Agger. They had crossed the river 
without any difficulty at all. ‘‘When they reached the Agger” (ubi ventum ad 
aggerem), evidently at some little distance from the river, “‘ as long as it was a fight 
with missiles the wounds and the slaughter fell chiefly on our soldiers; but when 
we had formed the military testudo, and the rude ill-compacted fence of stones 
was torn down (rudes et informes saxorum compages distractae) and it was an 
equal hand-to-hand engagement, the barbarians began to retire to the 
heights” (decedere barbari in juga montium), or, as I suppose, eventually to 
Caer Caradoc, three and a half miles to the north-west. Coxwall Knoll is 
a double hill, divided by a valley which serves as the boundary of Herefordshire 
and Shropshire. The eastern and much smaller part of the hill is semi-circular ; 
the western forms an ellipse. It is easy to understand how, if these two summits 
were fortified, so as to form a double agger over the intervening valley, the hill 
was no insignificant post, nor so long as Caradoe could fight with missiles on the 
crest of the hill from behind the earthworks was the “ gentle slope” of the valley 
of much advantage to the besiegers. I think, then, that this hill, locally known 
as a ‘Caer Caradoc,” may well be considered the spot where the battle began 
after the Romans had crossed the Teme, if it will consent to be known as the 
“agger” or ‘‘ vallum,” which Tacitus says was the second obstacle that daunted 
Ostorius as he reconnvitred from ‘‘ Brandon Camp.” The ‘‘imminentia juga,” 
*‘montibus arduis,” ‘‘juga montium,” are all distinguishable, as it seems to me, 
from the place where the battle was begun, which was evidently at the ‘‘ vallum” 
or ‘‘agger,” on this side the river. The retreat to the ‘‘Gaer ditches,” or ‘‘ Caer 
Caradoc,” at Chapel Lawn, with its necessary carnage, may have been the occasion 
of the little stream which runs at the foot of the two hills and falls into the Clun 
(Colunwy), receiving its name ‘*‘ Red Lake,” for ‘‘ Red Lake” may be a corruption 
of ‘“ Rhudd Lili,” which I find would be the old Welsh for ‘‘ red stream,” and 
there is a tradition in the valley that once a great battle was fought at Chapel 
Lawn, and the ‘‘ Red Lake ” flowed with blood for three days.* But one point 
more must be noticed before I cease to tax your attention, and that is the rather 
peculiar description Tacitus gives of the final struggle on the heights. He says, 
“Yet even there both light and heavy-armed soldiers rushed to the attack; the 
first harassed the foe with missiles, while the latter closed with them, and the 
opposing ranks of the Britons were broken, destitute as they were of the defence 
of breastplates or helmets. When they faced the Auxiliaries they were felled by 
the swords and javelins of our Legionaries; if they wheeled round they were 
again met by the sabres and spears of the Auxiliaries.” This involves an attack 
in front and rear—the Roman repartee for the way they had been received at 
Coxwall Knoll. — 
* épuddwero Patuare tOwp.—tl. xxi. 21. And compare the Victory of Hannibal, at 
Lago Tresimeno, on Junearst, 217, B.c., when a brook ran with blood, and was called in conse- 
quence Sanguinetto. 
15 
