ANTIQUITIES OF SELBORNE. 265 



be that which he would take, as offering the best chance of escape, 

 if he were closely pursued. From Alton, if lie heard that Con- 

 stantius was following him, by turning a few miles to the south- 

 ward, to the station or settlement which (as has been seen) 

 existed at or near Blackmoor, he would obtain the protection of a 

 country probably then more difficult of access, in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of the great Forest (Sylva Anderida), which cer- 

 tainly extended as far north-west as a part of Rogate, near tin; 

 southern boundary of Selborne parish. In order to account for 

 his meeting there with the Roman army, under Asclepiodotus, 

 nothing more is required than that we should suppose Con- 

 stantius, soon after landing, to have ordered his Praetorian 

 prefect to cross the hills, through the country of the Meanvari, 

 in the direction of Alton or Farnham, for the purpose of cutting 

 off the communications between Allectns and the military 

 stations to the east and north-east of Winchester. The route 

 which Asclepiodotus would follow, in the execution of such 

 orders, would naturally take him, by Porchester and West 

 Meon 1 (both Roman stations), either to the valley of Petersfield, 

 up which he would move to Woolmer Forest, reversing what 

 Mr. Sewell describes as Vespasian's march, or along the xipper 

 level of the chalk hills to Selborne or some point near it, from 

 which he might descend suddenly upon the enemy in Woolmer 

 Forest, imprepared for his approach. The expressions of the 

 orator, " te fugieus," " te post terga respiciens," " incidit in 

 tuorum manus/' favour the hypothesis of such a counter- 



of several sepulchral vases, set in dishes or saucers ; two lachrymatories ; a small 

 wooden dice-box ; a small lamp ; and a signet-ring of onyx, set in gold, which 

 was still (when found) on the calcined bone of the wearer's finger. On this seal 

 are engraved four small figures, set upright, parallel to each other ; those in the 

 centre representing an amphora and an ear of bearded corn, between an axe with 

 fasces on one side, and a quiver with arrows on the other. There were also some 

 small pieces of Saurian, or British Samian, ware. 



1 There is an earthwork on Old Winchester Hill, at West Menu, supposed to 

 have been the castra tcstii-a of a Roman garrison, in the country of the Meanvari, 

 a tribe whose appellation is still preserved in the names of East and West Meon 

 and Meonstoke. At the meeting of the Arch.-eological Association, held at Win- 

 chester in 1845, Colonel Greenwood exhibited a Roman terra-cotta lamp found 

 within this encampment, and some fragments of Roman pottery found in a 

 barrow near it, together with some remains of Unman weapons found at Brarn- 

 ilcan, a few miles further north, in the same high chalky district. 



VOL. II. M M 



