Battle of Mons Graupius

The Battle of Mons Graupius took place in the year 83 or 84. Gnaeus Julius Agricola, the Roman governor of Britain had sent his fleet to enable the Caledonians in fear and terror, and was equipped with light infantry, supported by Britannic auxiliary troops, marched to the north.

Although the Romans were outnumbered in their campaign against the Britannic tribes, they found it difficult to put their opponents to open battle. The Caledonians were the last that were still to be subjected, after they had for many years avoided the fight. But now, the Romans succeeded to force the battle by an attack on the granaries of the Caledonians, just as they were filled with the harvest: The Caledonians had no choice, they had to fight in order not to starve next winter.

The Caledonian hordes were no equivalent match for the disciplined Roman legions. It is estimated that 20,000 Romans 30,000 Caledonian warriors faced, plus the usual collection of women and children.

The approximately 8,000 Confederate infantry were at the center of the battle line, 3000 cavalry on the wings. The legionaries held on a reserve in front of the rampart of their camp. The Caledonian army under Calgacus stood on higher ground, their advance party in the plane, the other stepped erected up the slope in the form of a horseshoe.

After a brief skirmish with missiles Agricola ordered the auxiliary troops to advance against the enemy. The Caledonians were pushed up the hill, trying on the top of a pincer attack, but were taken even by the Roman cavalry in the pliers. The Caledonians were comprehensively overwhelmed and fled into the nearby forest, where the well-organized Roman units nachsetzten them mercilessly.

It is asserted that the Roman legions had not intervened in the battle, all the time in the reserve, and the successful Batavian auxiliary troops would have been. According to Tacitus ( the son of the Roman commander was ) lost 10,000 Caledonians their lives compared to 360 deaths on the Roman side. However, it is likely that Tacitus ' description of the battle has been a politically motivated exaggeration, either by themselves or by Tacitus Agricola.

After this battle was proclaimed, Agricola had finally subjected all Britannic tribes. Shortly thereafter, he was recalled to Rome, so that his victories were not used consistently in the far north.

The battlefield could not be located, but would have to lie in the Scottish Highlands. Bennachie in Aberdeenshire on the border between the Highlands and the Lowlands has been proposed as the exact location. This is supported by a recently proposed etymology: If Graupius related to a Pictish word with Welsh crib ( Crest) - a favorite in the topography of all Celtic languages ​​element - back, it specifies a range of hills with exactly the form that we observe in Bennachie.

A read or write errors of the early modern period was in the form of Gram Pius, the fortified and the current name of the Grampian Mountains, and later the county led Grampian region.

Swell

  • Tacitus: Agricola ( De vita et moribus Iulii agricolae ), chap. 29-38
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