h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Romans in Britain: Forts and Fortresses - A3012517
Author: Elentari - U202814

This is one of a series of entries I'm doing on Roman Britain, which in the long run, I hope to have edited as a series like Atlantic Cable's Sci fi entries (A1132057).

The complete list of my series is:
A Brief history: A2137565
Minerals: A3008666
Pottery: A3012283
Trade and Travel: A3012337
Agriculture: A3012355
Art: A3012364
Towns and Villas: A3012409
Army: A3012481
Forts and Fortresses: A3012517

in case you facy looking at the rest!

I know they may be a bit dry in parts, though I've tried to get rid of the bits that are only of interest to scholars, to make them more readable.

Let me know what you think!

As well as the forts and camps can I point you to my Coventry entry A2398827 from which I quote -

"Certainly the Romans knew of Coventry, and on the outskirts of the city at Bagington, are the remains of the only known gyrus1 in Western Europe. It has been suggested that this may have been erected to allow for the training of the vast number of partly trained horses the Roman Legion inherited after the defeat of Boudicca at Mancetter."

It occurs to me that some of these comments might seem out of order, I read your entries (and commented on them) in the order you listed them if that helps

--Again, don't need intro header. And other header titles should be capitalised
--lost of damaged >> lost or damaged
--the Rey Cross camp had eleven gates >> Where is this?
--“roads” >> 'roads'
--placed in side the area >> inside
--Hadrian’s Wall >> you might explain a little what this is, since not all readers will have read your other entries first.
--One the other side >> On the other side
--along the sides to. >> along the sides, too.
--“Saxon Shore Forts” >> 'Saxon Shore Forts', is this title under debate? Why are they 'so-called'?
--bath - houses >> bathhouses

As with your entry on the Army, a lot of this regards the army in general, not just in Britain. You have mentioned a bit more about Britain here (the locations of the fortresses, for instance), but it would make your entry more suitable to your title to include the locations of some of the camps and forts as well. Perhaps you could mention a few sites with the best remains in different parts of the country (I know the buildings are all gone, but if so many sites have been identified there must be some way of recognising them).

In the segment on vicus you say a few were able to survive after the fortresses were abandonned, and that they were often named after fortresses. Making a leap of logic this tentatively means that York, for instance, started out as a vicus. Is this true? Did all of the places where there are fortress remains begin as vicus (vicii?)? Are there other towns that started this way that may no longer have fortress remains?

And, finally, on the auxilliaries and veterans, I think this is adequately explained in the Army entry and doesn't need to be included here.

On the whole this is a superb series of entries, I commend you wholeheartedly . I've very much enjoyed reading them!

Why, thank you very much Miloso! *Curtseys*

Yes, you're quite right, York was a vicus. I have an essay on Roman York as well which I might put on h2g2 at some point.

I'll try to find some locations to put in, that's a good idea.

Surely the Antonione Wall in Scotland is also worthy of a mention

That's discussed in the "A Brief History" section.

The section on the roles of Auxiliaries and Veterans seems out of place in this entry. Isn't this information given in one of the other entries, anyway?


h2g2 style:

"roads" --> 'roads'
"Saxon Shore Forts" --> 'Saxon Shore Forts'
fifteen to 25 feet --> 15 to 25 feet

Typos:

in side the area --> inside the area
One the other side --> On the other side
along the sides to --> along the sides too
bath - houses --> bath-houses

Yes, it is in a way but the information here is different. Perhaps it would be better in the other entry, I'll look. I'm about to make those changes then I am done! Just need to wait for a lovely scout to come along!

One more that's been missed:

--have been lost of damaged >> have been lost or damaged

Also, I still think it would be good to add a few locations of camps and forts. Giving a couple of examples of surviving vicus would make this complete.

Done. I'm not too sure of exact locations of cams and forts, I'm afraid, but I mentioned that one vicus which turned into a town is York.

Hello. This one is also less Britain-specific... As a suggestion, try to figure out in what order (when) the Fortresses were built, and why at specific places (e.g. river crossings? hills? strategical position between two towns?) Tell us a bit of a story around the specific Fortresses, to focus this Entry on Britain.

HELL

I've tried to add things in, but I was searching a Romans in Britain site, and their wasn't much info even on that! I've done what I can.

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congrats Elentari

Thanks!