Explorations in Arthurian History
Explorations in Arthurian HistoryThe Romans
The placing of Arthur is a difficult task, considering that we have so very little to go on and several conflicting traditions from which to draw. Most of the early tales of Arthur are Welsh. Some of the later tales are Scottish. A great many of the tales call
Arthur King of the Britons, which can be taken to mean that he was king of just Britain, excluding Wales and Scotland. Sites with Arthur’s name in them abound and, taken together, would probably cover the expanse of the isle of Britannia.
Traditions passed down from generation to generation, first orally and then written, are just as much a part of history as cold facts. Yet it is cold facts that we pursue when we study archaeology. We are looking into the distant past with this
subject, so we have to rely on what was many years ago. Not much is left standing. The exceptions, of course, are many things Roman and a good number of things Welsh. Let us begin with the Romans.
Julius Caesar, of course, is given credit for “discovering” the island for Rome. He
“visited” twice and deemed it fit for occupation. It wasn’t until Claudius arrived in 43 that the island was overrun with Roman influence. The Romans stayed for about 400 years and brought a kind of order not seen before. When they abandoned Britain to its own squabbles, they left behind a legacy of structures and traditions.
In the way of order they left several forts, most of them connected to the two giant walls: Hadrian’s Wall (right) and the Antonine Wall (left). Both were ordered built by emperors and named after themselves. Both, of course, were built to contain what the Romans thought of barbarians in the north. Both stand, in part, to this day. It is a testament to Roman craftsmanship and British respect for the past.
But the Romans also left structures in towns and the countryside. Prominent examples can be found still standing at Bath and Wroxeter (the Roman metropolis Viroconium). These are just two examples of the many that are available. But these two, along with the two walls, will serve as an introduction to Arthurian Archaeology.
As the Romans worked their back eastward toward Rome, they left their...
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