| Battle of Mons Graupius | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofRoman conquest of Britain | |||||||
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Roman Empire | Caledonian Confederacy | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Agricola | Calgacus | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 17,000–30,000+ | 15,000–30,000+ | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 360 dead | 10,000 dead | ||||||
TheBattle of Mons Graupius was, according toTacitus, aRoman military victory in what is nowScotland, taking place inAD 83 or, less probably, 84. The exact location of the battle is a matter of debate. Historians have long questioned some details of Tacitus's account of the fight, suggesting that he exaggerated Roman success.
Tacitus states thatGnaeus Julius Agricola, who was theRoman governor and Tacitus's father-in-law, had sent his fleet ahead to panic theCaledonians, and, withlight infantry reinforced withBritish auxiliaries, reached the site, which he found occupied by the enemy.
Even though the Romans were outnumbered in their campaign against the tribes ofBritain, they often had difficulty getting their foes to face them in open battle. The Caledonii were the last unconquered British tribe (and were never entirely subdued). After many years of avoiding the fight, the Caledonians were forced to join battle when the Romans marched on the maingranaries of the Caledonians, just as they had been filled from the harvest. The Caledonians had no choice but to fight or starve over the next winter.
The Battle of Mons Graupius has been a constant motif in the study ofRoman Scotland.[2][3] In the 19th century, it was identified with almost every principal Roman site inPerth and Kinross from Dalginross toBlairgowrie.[4] With the advent of aerial photography and the interpretation of crop markings in the 20th century, the focus has moved to the north-east and a series of marching camps en route to theMoray coast. This has given rise to the belief that the battle occurred inAberdeenshire at the foot ofBennachie, a very distinctive hill just south of a large marching camp at Logie Durno.[5][6][7]
Considerable debate and analysis have been conducted regarding the battle location, with the locus of most of these sites spanningPerthshire to the north of theRiver Dee, all in the northeast ofScotland.[4] A number of authors have reckoned the battle to have occurred in theGrampianMounth within sight of theNorth Sea. In particular, Roy,[2][3] Watt,[8] Hogan[9] and others have advanced notions that the high ground of the battle may have beenKempstone Hill,Megray Hill or other knolls near theRaedykesRoman Camp.
Those sites in Aberdeenshire fit the historical descriptions of Tacitus and have also yieldedarchaeological finds related to Roman presence. In addition, these points of high ground are proximate to theElsick Mounth, an ancienttrackway used by Romans and Caledonians for military manoeuvres.[9] Bennachie in Aberdeenshire, theGask Ridge not far fromPerth, andSutherland have also been suggested.[7][10][11]
Historic Environment Scotland noted the uncertainty of the location as the reason for its exclusion from theInventory of Historic Battlefields in Scotland.[12]
According to Tacitus, 8,000allied auxiliaryinfantry formed the centre, while 3,000cavalry were on the flanks, with the Romanlegionaries as a reserve in front of their camp.[7] Estimates for the size of the Roman army range from 17,000 to 30,000;[13][14] although Tacitus says that 11,000 auxiliaries were engaged, along with a further four squadrons of cavalry, the number of legionaries in reserve is uncertain. The Caledonian army, which Tacitus claims was led byCalgacus (but only mentions him as giving a speech, probably fictitious),[15][16] was said to be over 30,000 strong. It was stationed mostly on higher ground; its front ranks were on the level ground, but the other ranks rose in tiers, up the slope of the hill in a horseshoe formation. The Caledonianchariotry charged about on the level plain between the two armies.
After a brief exchange of missiles, Agricola ordered auxiliaries to launch a frontal attack on the enemy. These were based around four cohorts ofBatavians and two cohorts ofTungri swordsmen. The Caledonians were cut down and trampled on the lower slopes of the hill. Those at the top attempted anoutflanking movement but were themselves outflanked by Roman cavalry. The Caledonians were then comprehensively routed and fled for the shelter of nearby woodland, but were relentlessly pursued by well-organised Roman units.
It is said that the Roman Legions took no part in the battle, being held in reserve throughout. According to Tacitus, 10,000 Caledonian people died at a cost of only 360 auxiliary troops. 20,000 Caledonians retreated into the woods, where they fared considerably better against pursuing forces. Roman scouts were unable to locate the remaining Caledonian forces the next morning.
In the version of the battle byHector Boece, which might be drawn from now-lost local sources,[17] it was a hard and closely-fought battle, in which,
The Roman army would have been destroyed... had not a cohort of Germans come to the rescue, enlisted and transported to Britain by command of Caesar... The struggle that followed was atrocious, with the confederates fighting with far more violence than martial skill. Then Agricola sent in a cohort previously held in reserve, which he had been saving for sudden emergencies, to confront these fierce fighters. But the confederates, remaining in the battle-line with indescribable stubbornness, could not be budged. A sad, wretched spectacle ensued, with the confederate wounded falling on top of their dead comrades. Some voluntarily exposed themselves to their executioners, and others escaped their enemy only to commit suicide. Everywhere you could see human limbs, weapons, bodies, and blood-soaked earth. The battle continued in this manner until night deprived the combatants of their ability to see. Then the signal for retreat was sounded, and both sides retired.
— Boece Hector,Scotorum Historia, IV.54 (1527)
The decisive victory reported by Tacitus has been criticized by some historians, however, who believe no engagement occurred. One author has suggested that the emperorDomitian may have been informed of the fraudulence of Agricola's claims to have won a significant victory.[18][19] Despite these claims, Agricola was awarded triumphal honours and was offered another governorship in a different part of the empire, so it would seem unlikely Domitian doubted he had achieved substantial successes. Suggestions that he invented the entire episode and was thereafter shunned by the emperor do not seem likely, given that he was awarded honours on his return.
Following this final battle, it was proclaimed that Agricola had finally subdued all the tribes of Britain. Soon afterwards he was recalled to Rome, and his post passed toSallustius Lucullus. It is likely that Rome intended to continue the conflict, but that military requirements elsewhere in the empire necessitated a troop withdrawal and the opportunity was lost.
Tacitus' statement in his account of Roman history between 68 AD and 98 AD:"Perdomita Britannia et statim missa" ("Britain was completely conquered and immediately let go"), denotes his bitter disapproval of Domitian's failure to unify the whole island under Roman rule after Agricola's successful campaign.[20]
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