CALEDONIA. 



2*9 



Caledonia, effusion of Roman blood. After an en-rgetic speech 



-v ' from each of the generals to their respective armies, 



the light troops, on both sides, began the battle by a 



.rge of their javelins. The Caledonian-;, 



while at a distance, displayed much addrets in avoid- 



:ind parrying these with their small bucklers and 



e swurdj, while they at the same time overwhelm- 

 ed their antagonists with showers of darts } but they 



Id not withstand the close onset of some Ger- 

 man heavy armed foot, who drove them up the hill 



ud in hand. The other cohorts, following the 

 example of these Germans, fell upon the whole front 

 of the Caledonians, and threw their horse, infantry, 

 and chariots, into inextricable confusion, and a ter- 

 rible slaughter ensued. In the mean time, however, 

 the Caledonians on the higher grounds made a stout 

 effort to turn the enemy, and attack them on the 

 flanks and rear ; but the Roman cavalry observing 

 this movement, attacked these insulated bodies on all 

 bides, and put them to the rout. Though the day 

 was now irrecoverably lost, and the Caledonians re- 

 treated in all directions, yet the fight was kept up 

 with great obstinacy, and the foremost of the Ro- 

 mans paid dear for their temerity. In this great 

 battle, so honourable to the valour of our ancestors, 

 10,000 of the Caledonians, by the Roman accounts, 

 remained upon the field, while the enemy are said 

 to have lost but 350 men ; a return in which it is 

 probable the legionaries only are included. 



The Caledonians had committed a great error in 

 giving Agricola battle at that late season of the 

 year, when they might easily have starved him out 

 of their country; but this might proceed from their 

 not being aware of the discipline of the Romans. 

 Though unfortunate in this trial of their strength, 

 they did not, however, tamely yield to their con- 

 querors. Immediately after their defeat, they adopt- 

 ed the politic measure of laying waste their country, 

 and burning their houses and effects, to deprive the 

 Romans of all means of subsistence. It is even ad- 

 ded, that they put to death those of their wives and 

 children whom they could not carry away, to pre- 

 vent their falling into the enemy's hands. The pro- 

 bability is that Roman vanity has greatly exaggera- 

 ted the loss of the Caledonians. One thing, how- 

 ever, is certain, that Agricola retreated immediately 

 after the battle, owing, according to Tacitus, to 

 the lateness of the season, but more probably to the 

 danger of wintering among these hostile and high 

 spirited tribes. Agricola withdrew his aimy by 

 slow marches, intending by that means to display to 

 the new nations the severe loss sustained by the Ca- 

 ledonians, as not being in a condition to molest his 

 retreat; and, having exacted hostages of the Horesti, 

 supposed to be the inhabitants of Fife, he sent his 

 army into winter quarters, probably in the districts 

 to the south of the Forth and Clyde. It was du- 

 ring this campaign that Agricola ordered his fleet to 

 circumnavigate the island, in order to terrify the tribes 

 of the north with the greatness of the Roman power. 

 As a proof that the Romans had hitherto acquired 

 but a momentary footing on the frontiers of Cale- 

 donia, we have only to consider the state of things 

 in A. D. 121, '*(') yea^ra after the battle of the Gram- 

 pians, when we find Hadrian building a wall between 

 the Tyne and the Sol way, to restrain the incursions 



of the Caledonians, and of their allies the MziUe, a 

 new denomination of people, who teem to hae inha- 

 bited the country near Agricola's lines. About 17 

 yean tberriiter, the Maratsr being vanquished in e- 

 1 <*ngageroent, by Lolliui Urbicus, their country 

 was ag.nn occupied by the Romans, and the lines of 

 Agricola were fortified anew, with a rampart and 

 ditch. This defence, thenceforward called the waD 

 of Antoninus, because built in his reign, wai intended 

 as the boundary of the empire ; but the Caledonian* 

 in 180 broke through it, and being joined by the 

 tae, carried fire and sword into the Roman pro- 

 vince. We find the same confederates again in 198 

 pursuing the same career of rapine and detola; 

 when Lupus, the general of Severus, not being able 

 to make head against them, had recourse to the 

 dangerous expedient of bribing them to return, and 

 ming their prisoners. This, as might be expec- 

 ted, was but a temporary remedy. The Caledonians 

 renewed their nvages with more fury than ever, so 

 that the presence of Severus himself became neces- 

 sary. His arrival, in A. D. 207, with a powerful 

 force, so alarmed the confederates, that they sent am- 

 bassadors to the emperor to propose an accommoda- 

 tion ; but their offers were rejected. Severus, with 

 an immense army, took the field in person, resolving 

 to penetrate to the furthest extremity of the island, 

 and put an effectual period to the.powcr of the Cale- 

 donians. Our ancestors, taught by their former ex- 

 perience, adopted on this occasion a mode of defence 

 peculiarly suitable to their circumstances, and allowed 

 the enemy to waste his strength in contending witk 

 the natural difficulties of the country. Severus, we 

 are told, employed in this expedition a great part 

 of his troops in cutting down the forests and drain- 

 ing the marshes, in which the natives suddenly disap- 

 peared when pursued by the Romans, and in con- 

 structing roads and bridges for the conveyance of 

 supplies ; the remainder of his forces he employed in 

 protecting the workmen from the incessant attacks 

 of the Caledonian skirmishers. These neve/ appear- 

 ed in a body, but contented themselves with hanging 

 on his line of march, and intercepting his supplies, 

 and with desultory attacks and ambuscades, by which 

 the enemy suffered excessively. The emperor lost in 

 this expedition no fewer than 50,000 men, without a 

 single battle, and even without having seen the enemy 

 in a body. Severus, however, by the most incredible 

 perseverance, at last penetrated into the heart of the 

 country, which probably had never till then seen a fo- 

 reign enemy ; ai;d compelling the Caledonians to lay 

 down their arms, deprived them and the Mxatx of a 

 part of their territory. The dear bought success of 

 this expedition was unquestionably not adequate to the 

 original intention of Srventa, for upon withdrawing 

 his army to the south, we find him employing his 

 troops, for the space of two years, in constructing 

 his famous wall ; a pretty strong symptom of that 

 independence still maintained by thr Caledonians! 

 An additional confirmation of their remaining vigour 

 is furnished by another war, A. D. 210, when the 

 Maratx and Caledonians, two years after the hut pa- 

 cification, availing themselves of the difficulties of 

 Severus, made a formidable attempt to wret the 

 ceded territory fr-.m his grasp. The old emperor, 

 who was at York upon the arrival of this intelligence, 

 S 



