Introducing Caerleon Legionary Fortress

On April 23, 2017 By Paul Coby and Sally BlandfordIn Army, Legionary Fortress, Roman BritainLeave a comment

Overall 4**** A lot to see: for Britannia, these are substantial visible remains

Display 3*** Museum brilliant and Cadw great at Baths (amphitheatre & barracks less so)

Access 4**** You can walk around whole site with Caerleon village; easy parking

Atmosphere 4**** Once you have walked around you can start to imagine the Fortress

Other 5***** Caerleon is very rare in Britannia, since the other Legionary Fortresses (Colchester, Gloucester, Exeter, Lincoln, Chester and York) are under modern cities and there is little of the Fortress to see at Wroxeter (and nothing at Inchtuthil)

Caerleon Legionary Fortress of Legio II Augusta consistes of:

The Natatio and part of Frigidarium and Apodyterium of the internal Fortress Baths
The exposed Ramparts on the South and West sides
The Amphitheatre, just outside the South-West Gate
The ‘only exposed legionary barrack block in the Empire (?)’
The Legion Museum of the National Museum of Wales

Having failed to complete the conquest of the resident Iron Age tribe the Silures in South Wales in the AD50s, in AD75 Legio II Augusta moves from Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum) to Caerleon (Isca) to complete the conquest. Unsurprisingly, the Romans have to quell determined military resistance.

The first fortress is constructed of timber with turf and earth ramparts. At a date quite soon after (probably around AD80) the whole fortress is rebuilt in stone, and a set of impressive fortress Baths are built in stone from the outset. By now, conditions for the occupiers are improving significantly .

In AD90 the Amphitheatre is begun and the fortress Baths receive their first refurbishment. Then, in AD122, most of Legio II Augusta moves north to build Hadrian’s Wall, but Caerleon remains operational.

In AD 130 the Baths receive a total reshape, including new changing rooms, and the pool is shortened.

In AD193 under Septimius Severus, despite an apparent rebuild of the Principia (HQ), Isca is abandoned or at least ‘mothballed’. This presumably reflects Legio II Augusta’s role campaigning in Scotland with the Emperor, with plans for permanent deployment in the North. (Severus had deployed legions in his new Province of Mesopotamia in AD197.)

In AD211 the plan to abandon Isca is dropped and under Emperor Caracalla major repairs are undertaken to the Fortress, Amphitheatre and Baths. Legio II Augusta gains the title Anoniniana – ‘Caracalla’s Own’.

By AD250 major components of the Legion have left as vexillations (detachments) to fight in the Anarchy of the C3rd, leaving large parts of the Fortress unoccupied.

There is some rebuilding of barracks in AD253-258 and around AD274.

Between AD287 and 296 the main buildings of the Fortress are demolished and Legio II Augusta is moved to Richborough, possibly by the military commander – then usurper – Carausius, in order to defend against Channel raiders and, thereafter, against the legitimate Empire.

Caerleon

pf_sf_interpretation — The plan of the Stone Fortress, courtesy of Caerleon Research Committee

Prsyg Field Barracks, Caerleon

On April 16, 2017April 16, 2017 By Paul Coby and Sally BlandfordIn Army, Imperial, Legionary FortressLeave a comment

Overall 2 ** interesting site, unique display of a legionary barrack block

Display 1 * one barrack block is original the other three are surface representations

Access 3 *** you can park in adjacent rugby club car park unless a match is on

Atmosphere 1 * the multiplicity of walls are confusing in the ‘real’ barrack block

Other 3 *** However all of this is part of the fabulous displays at Caerleon

In the North West of the Fortress there is a block of four barracks on view. These constitute two-thirds of the barracks of a single Cohort. The first line of barracks are the actual stone buildings, and are below ground level. The other three barracks are much higher at current ground level are are modern.

The original barracks from 75AD were wooden, but the Fortress was rebuilt in stone over the next few years. There is controversy as to whether only the bottom parts of the barracks were stone with timber top halves, or completely of stone.

The II Augusta was composed of 10 cohorts, each of six centuries composed of 80 legionaries. The centuries were twinned reflecting the old Republican maniple, and the barrack blocks faced each other. There were 10 contuburnia each of 8 legionaries in each century. Each contubernium had two rooms in the barracks, one at the back with bunks and cooking equipment, and a room at the front for storage of weapons, armour and shields.

The excavated remains show 12 pairs of rooms, which allows for some to be used as store-rooms or new recruits. At the other end of the barrack-block are the Centurion’s quarters, which combine quite lavish accommodation with the offices of the Century.

In summary this is rather a disappointing site, given what we are looking at here. Unlike the Roman Baths where the site is brought to life through finds, light effects and models, here we are presented with the confusing multi period jig-saw of walls which make it very hard to envisage what life was like for the legionaries who built this and lived here. The best place to feel this is perhaps the admittedly auxiliary reconstructed barracks at the Saalburg.

The Legionary Amphitheatre at Caerleon

On April 15, 2017April 15, 2017 By Paul Coby and Sally BlandfordIn Army, Legionary Fortress, Roman BritainLeave a comment

Overall 3 *** important site, impressive scale and great setting

Display 2 ** site remains excellently consolidated, little information on site

Access 3 *** you can park in adjacent rugby club car park unless a match is on

Atmosphere 2 ** great impression, but far too pleasant for its original purpose!

Other 3 *** best amphitheatre in Britannia!

This is the only fully visible Legionary Amphitheatre in Britannia, and is another Mortimer Wheeler production, excavated in 1926-7.

It was constructed in cAD90 outside the South-West Gate of the Fortress on the Via Principalis, now called Broadway It is c80m by c65m in size and elliptical in shape. Its surviving lower part was made of stone and earth, with an upper part constructed of timber, forming a grandstand with tiers of wooden seating. It is calculated that it could hold the full 6,000-man complement of Legio II Augusta.

There are two processional entries facing each other on the long axis, and two other entrances with waiting rooms for gladiators, prisoners and beasts, facing each other on the short axis. The legionary stonemasons included inscribed stones with the name of the centurion of the Century that had built that section, sometimes with the Capricorn badge of II Augusta. The originals are now in the Legion Museum, but replicas have been put in place and can be spotted.

There is a niche on the East with a shrine to Nemesis, which was identified by a curse tablet found nearby. This added in 212-22, dated by brick work dating to Caracalla when Leg II Augusta held the title of Antonina.

Together with the vast Baths Complex, the Amphitheatre gives you an insight into the daily world of a Roman Legionary – certainly, in the late 1st and 2nd Centuries, not a humble ‘grunt’ but an accomplished professional military engineer, probably literate, well-paid and forming the sinews that held the Empire together. A grateful Emperor and Respublica would provide him with all the comforts that could be built – not just bread and circuses, but baths and regular donatives of cash on special occasions. As Septimius Severus said to his sons on his deathbed, ‘Be harmonious, enrich the soldiers, scorn everybody else’.

Most Roman amphitheatres have a thoroughly miserable and acutely depressing atmosphere; you only have to think of what happened in them. However, at Caerleon, where the grass is frequented by picnicking families and boys kicking footballs, it is actually quite cheerful.

Unlike the rest of Caerleon, on site the information provided is meagre, so you need Cadw’s well-illustrated guide to the Fortress.

Copy of Centurial Stone of Century of Claudius Cupitus

Roman Legionary Baths Caerleon

On April 15, 2017April 16, 2017 By Paul Coby and Sally BlandfordIn Army, Legionary Fortress, Roman BritainLeave a comment

Model of the Complex in the Cadw Cover Building

Overall 4 **** Exposed remains of part of the huge Legionary Baths

Display 5 ***** Excellent; the light effects recreate the water and bathers

Access 3 *** Car park outside, shared with the pub!

Atmosphere 4 **** Magical light effects bring the baths to life

Other Part of the best assemblage of legionary remains in Britannia, with friendly Cadw staff and family activities during the holidays.

You can only see a small part of the internal Baths of the Fortress, built of stone after AD75 by Legio II Augusta. We are lucky, however, in that the Swimming Pool (Natatio), part of the Cold Room (Frigidarium) and part of the Changing Room (Apodyterium) are exposed. The enormous Exercise Hall (Basilica), Warm Room (Tepidarium) and Hot Room (Caldarium) are not visible, so the vast scale of the entire baths complex can only be imagined.

The displays are clearly – and very reasonably – aimed at the school visits market, with interactive games and dressing up. There are also several clear explanatory boards, however, with exhibits of finds and – our favourite item – an excellent cut-away model of the whole Baths complex, as originally completed.

Best of all are the light effects on the plunge pool which make it look as if it is full of water and in use by ghostly Roman bathers. The pool was originally 41m long, held 365,000 litres of water, and had a larger surface area than the Great Bath at Aquae Sulis (Bath).

One of the most interesting findings to emerge from the excavations of the Baths was proof of their use by women and children, presumably related to the garrison. The collection of carved gemstones (intaglio) from the baths drain is a highlight.

The Baths building was refurbished in 87-95AD, and in c130 the pool was shortened. During Septimius Severus’ campaigns in Scotland the stone slabs of the lining were removed, possibly presaging a planned evacuation, but it was then re-lined and and continued in use until 240, with final abandonment in 290-300!

What our visit brought home to us was the sheer scale and luxury of this ‘Legionary Recreation Centre’ in the middle of what was still, at the time of construction, a war-zone. The Baths would have towered over the rest of the Fortress and, with an overall length of 110m, are comparable in size to a medieval Cathedral, the Basilica being comparable to the nave and the cold, warm and hot rooms like the chancel. The contrast between the conditions experienced by the Legionaries in the Fortress and the defeated Silures outside cannot be exaggerated.

Roman Legionary Fortress of II Augusta Exeter

On December 13, 2015April 16, 2017 By Paul Coby and Sally BlandfordIn Army, Roman BritainLeave a comment

Overall no stars Very little to see – need to use your imagination

Display 1 * Occasional tours of the sites are provided by tourist info

Access 1 * Easy to walk round the streets but need to use your imagination

Atmosphere no stars Hard to imagine what the fortress looked like

Other no stars If only the Lottery Bid to display the fine baths had come off!

In c55 CE the Roman invasion force established a Legionary Fortress for the Legio II Augusta. It is usually thought that this legion had been active in conquering the South West Peninsula and the tribes of the Durotriges and Dumnonii, initially under the command of the future Emperor Vespasian.

The II Augusta presence in Exeter is confirmed by a dolphin antefix from the baths, dated to about 60CE, made from the same mould as an antefix from Caerleon.

The fortress was 17ha (42 acres) in extent and the excavations that have taken place show it to have been a classic first Century playing card design with barracks, granaries and workshops built in timber.

The only stone building was a magnificent bath house, supplied by an aquaduct through the Porta Decumana. The hot room (caldarium) and the warm room (tempidarium) have been excavated, and there was an exercise yard (palaestra) where a cockfighting pit has been found. Alas the remains outside the West Door of the magnificent medieval Cathedral were covered over and a recent lottery bid to re-excavate and display them failed.

II Augusta remained at Isca Dumnoniarum for approximately 20 years, presumably pacifiying the Dumnonii, before departing for the Silurian front in South Wales, settling finally into another Isca (Caerleon).

The above finds of a legionary dagger (pugio) and more carved antefixes from the bath roof are in the Exeter Museum RAMM.

The Legionary Fortress was connected to coastal shipping supply by subsidiary fort at Topsham on the River Exe Estuary. There was a supply depot at St Loyes between Topsham and the Legionary Fortress.

In about 75CE, the Fortress appears to have been handed over to the civilian Civitas (self governing tribe) of the Dumnonii, in an apparently brilliantly successful example of turning hostile Celtic tribes into Romano-Britons – or at least transforming the tribal leadership. A policy Tacitus set out clearly in his hagiographical biography of Britannia Governor Julius Agricola (77-85CE).

In order, by a taste of pleasures, to reclaim the natives from that rude and unsettled state which prompted them to war, and reconcile them to quiet and tranquillity, he [Agricola] incited them, by private instigations and public encouragements, to erect temples, courts of justice, and dwelling-houses…..He was also attentive to provide a liberal education for the sons of their chieftains, preferring the natural genius of the Britons to the attainments of the Gauls; and his attempts were attended with such success, that they who lately disdained to make use of the Roman language, were now ambitious of becoming eloquent….At length they gradually deviated into a taste for those luxuries which stimulate to vice; porticos, and baths, and the elegancies of the table; and this, from their inexperience, they termed politeness, whilst, in reality, it constituted a part of their slavery.; Tacitus, Agricola 21

The stone built legionary baths were presumably too luxurious for the civilian Civitas and were demolished.

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