238 
JOURNAL OF THE PLYMOUTH INSTITUTION. 
" The war appears to have commenced in the spring of the year 
45. The army which Vespasian had was his own legion, the 
second, which he commanded, and which he brought from Germany. 
This with auxiliaries made up a force of 13,000 men. From the 
Imperatorship of Claudius it would seem that the war lasted 
through 45 and 46. Vespasian is said to have fought thirty-two 
times with the enemy. Deducting from these the live engagements 
which took place during the first two years of the war with Aulus 
Plautius and Claudius, there are twenty-seven battles, but of these 
there appear to be only six recorded. In 47 it would seem that 
there was a revolt ; for Dion Cassius tells us that Vespasian was 
nearly cut off in that year. He is described as having been taken 
by surprise and hemmed in and beleaguered by the Britons, and en- 
closed with entrenched works, and was only rescued with difficulty 
by a force sent opportunely to his aid. It is obvious that the re- 
sistance encountered by Vespasian on the part of the Belga3 and 
Dumnonii was of the most obstinate kind. The contest must have 
been full of incidents, but unfortunately the loss of historical 
records scarcely more than permits us to satisfy ourselves that such 
a contest was carried on. I believe that in the camps and fortified 
hills remaining, there is ample evidence of a severe struggle for 
supremacy. 
" That the battles of Vespasian were won in the territories of the 
Belgae and Dumnonii is, independently of what I have said, sup- 
ported by tradition. No reliance can be placed on the various 
statements contained in the writings of the old chroniclers ; but 
there must have been some grounds for the common belief that 
Vespasian won his victories over the inhabitants of the west 
country. Of course credence has been given, even by modern 
authors, to these accounts, and one writer about thirty years ago 
gives us such circumstantial accounts as the following : 
'The rebellion in which the Duninonii were principally concerneg 
was during the reign of Claudius, a.d. 49, when the Britons, lAiMenea 
with taxes, and harassed by the pride and insolence of the Roman 
soldiers, revolted, and their king, Arviragus, refused to pay the accus- 
tomed tribute to the Emperor. Claudius lost no time in sending his 
general, Vespasian, with reinforcements to the legions. Vespasian soon 
appeared with a powerful fleet off the coast of Kent, and attempted to 
land at Rutupae ; but the Britons being on the alert prevented him. 
Unsuccessful at this point, he sailed along the southern shores, and 
