ROMAN WAREHAM AND THE CLAUDIAN INVASION. 127 



He timed his journey to Britain so as to spend his birthday at 

 his birthplace at Lyons, where he would receive the assembled 

 States of Gaul on the anniversary of the birth of Augustus in the 

 month named in honour of the latter. He lost so much time in 

 these solemnities that his stay in Britain lasted only sixteen 

 days, during which he received the submission of the Sovereign of 

 Camalodumn (Colchester). 



It is not to be supposed that he would come alone, or with a 

 nominal retinue. The Ninth legion consisted of war-hardened 

 veterans, who, originally having served in Pannonia, were ordered 

 to Africa, where they had severe service in the Atlas mountains in 

 the expedition under Suetonius Paullinus, who was afterwards in 

 Britain^ at the time of the Boadicean revolt. 



That the Emperor brought the Ninth legion with him is 

 indicated by its being the one that garrisoned the new city in 

 which the Temple to Claudius was built in honour of the victory 

 over Britain, for it was the Ninth legion that was almost destroyed 

 by Boadicea. 



The Ninth legion had been ordered back from Africa some years 

 before this, but an insurrection had broken out there which required 

 the army to be again reinforced. We are not told what legion was 

 now sent over ; but it would almost certainly be the one that had 

 become acclimatised to the country, and which was already 

 accustomed to its plains and mountains. The African trouble was 

 over in time to release the legion for the Emperor's festival and 

 the British expedition. 



There is further a very singular bit of circumstantial evi- 

 dence that Claudius was accompanied by this Ninth legion, which 

 would be as readily transported from Africa to Marseilles (to 

 ascend the Rhine to Lyons) as direct from Ostia when once on 

 shipboard. 



Dion Cassius tells us that very great preparations had been made 

 for this expedition of Claudius even elephants having been pro- 

 vided. Now an elephant corps, with Moorish drivers, would be 

 as fitting an adjunct to the African legion as to an Indian regiment 



