GLC-03 Handout (Romans)

Gaelic Language and Culture  www.gaelicseattle.
com
Part 3: Romans & Writing macgeoffster@gmail.com
Gaelic Language and Culture

Part 3: Romans & Writing
Introduction
This is Part 3 of my series of presentations on the impacts of history on the language
and culture of the Gaelic speaking peoples.
The sites mentioned in this presentation can be found online on Google Maps at http://
www.bit.ly/glcmaps.
Roman Period
Setting the scene: We ended with a discussion of the ‘Celts’ and how those people did
not refer to themselves as such, but we, at least since the 19th or 20th centuries have
applied the term retroactively on to those people of antiquity and their descendants. The
term ‘Celts’ really is a way of referring to the non-Roman and non-Germanic peoples of
north-western Europe who were comprised of many groups of people with shared
culture and language.1
The Book of Invasions was written by Christian monks in Ireland in the 7th century
about events which supposedly took place around 500 BCE. These events involve the
‘Celtic Invasion’ of Ireland. There is no archeological evidence found to-date to support
a Celtic invasion of Ireland. However, the events described in the Book of Invasions do
provide an origin story for the Gaelic speaking people of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle
of Man - the Gaels.
The Romans conquered the ‘Celtic’ lands which today we refer to as England, Wales,
and southern Scotland. They did not control Ireland. We can assume that trade
continued across the Irish Sea during this time, however. For the purposes of our
discussion, we will focus mainly on Roman activities in Scotland.
Outline
• Roman Period
• 50 BCE to 500 CE
• The Book of Invasions (7th. cen.) details the origin story of the Celts (Gaels)
arrival around 500 BCE in Ireland.
• There’s no archeological evidence to corroborate this account.
• Ptolemy’s Map (140 CE) is the first hard evidence of Celtic speaking people in
Ireland.
1 Clarkson 2012, Ch. 1, Paragraph 4.

©2016 Geoffrey Sammons, All Rights Reserved.  Updated 4/30/16 
Permission to copy unaltered granted. Page 1
Gaelic Language and Culture  www.gaelicseattle.com
• 50 BCE to 1 CE
• The Romans intervened in southern Gaul by request of a tribe that was
attacked. The Gallic Wars begin in 58 BCE.
• The Gauls received assistance from allies in Britannia. Caesar invades in 55
BCE and 54 BCE.
• A client kingdom is set up in the south of Britannia.
• CE to 77 CE
1
• 43 CE - Claudius orders full scale invasion of Britannia.
• 74 CE - Roman control extends through Wales and England.
• 77 CE - Agricola appointed governor of Britannia.
• 77 CE to 138 CE
• Caledonia was the territory north of the Forth & Clyde rivers.
• No towns, just crannogs, duns, and brochs.
• First Invasion (79 CE to 83 CE)
• Four year campaign lead by Agricola. Four legions head north.
• The campaign culminates in the battle of Mons Graupius, specific location
unknown.
• Highland line forts built, including the legionary fort at Inchtuthil.
• Agricola returns to Rome.
• Military campaign in Germany goes poorly, forces in Britannia are reduced.
• Slow retreat to Solway-Tyne line. Everything to the north is abandoned.
• Hadrian’s Wall construction begins about 120 CE.
• 138 CE to 208 CE
• Second Invasion ordered when Antoninus Pius succeeds Hadrian and he
wants to reclaim abandoned lands.
• Antonine Wall constructed out of wood and turf (142 CE to 143 CE).
• Marcus Aurelius succeeds Antoninus Pius. Antonine Wall abandoned.
• All forts in ‘northern Britannia’ dismantled and sites abandoned. Forces return
to Hadrian’s Wall (160 CE to 170 CE).
• 208 CE to 211 CE
• Third Invasion as attacks by barbarians bring Emperor Septimius Severus to
Britannia with sons, Caracalla and Geta (208 CE).
• A task-force with 40,000 men pass Hadrian’s Wall to end barbarian attacks
(209 CE).
• Force reach the “end of the island.” Fort building begins (210 CE).
• Septimius Severus dies at York. Caracalla succeeds him, heads to Rome. (211
CE)
• Attempted Roman conquest of Caledonia ends.
• 290 CE to 410 CE
• The Picts - first mentioned in 297 CE by a poet referring to them and the Irish
(Scotti) as enemies of the Britons.
• Picts means ‘Painted People.’ Tattoos? Paint?
• No Pictish language remained after 900 CE. No writing remains. Is thought to
be Brythonic.
• Picts cover a large territory but with many separate groups. A new name for
tribes previously identified independently?
• Picts and Scotti raid from the north and west.
• German mercenaries invited into Britannia during the last half of the Fourth
Century CE.
• Barbarian Conspiracy of Picts and Scotti in Britannia, Germanic tribes in Gaul
(367 CE).
• A substantial force leaves Britannia for battle in Gaul (383 CE).
• Emperor Honorius tells Britannia to organize their own defense (410 CE).
• 400 CE to 500 CE
• St. Patrick - As Roman Britannia declines, Irish conduct raids on the west coast
of Britannia.
• 16 year old Patrick captured during a raid. Sold in Ireland as a slave.
• Patrick was taken Killala Bay to tend sheep.
• Young, isolated, living among strangers, and afraid, he prays.
• After six years in Ireland, he hears a voice telling him the ship that will take him
home is ready.
• Patrick escapes, travels 200 miles to the eastern shore, and negotiates
passage home.
• Patrick believes the people of Ireland to be good, religious people. He wanted
to bring Christianity to them.
• After becoming an ordained priest, he has a vision of an Irish messenger,
asking Patrick to return to Ireland and bring Christianity.
• Later accounts say Patrick returned to Ireland in 432 CE.
• Blending Christian teaching and pre-existing spiritual traditions, people
converted without bloodshed.
• Patrick travelled mostly in northern Ireland. Exact travels are not known.
• He founded many churches, including, possibly, the church in Armagh.
• Patrick dies around 492 (or 496) CE.
• 400 CE to 500 CE
• Ogham: The alphabet used for Primitive Irish (which came before Old Irish).
• Possibly inspired by Roman numerals.
• Most Ogham that remains is found on memorial stones and include people’s
names.
• Mostly found in southern Ireland or Wales. There are a smattering of stones in
southwest England, the Isle of Man, and Scotland. The Lunnasting stone, found
in Shetland, may be Pictish language.
• Not known when Ogham was first developed.
• Old Irish written in Latin alphabet.

Timeline: 50 BCE to 500 CE

Ireland Time Scotland Notes
Bronze Age
Tin is used in the

making of bronze, and
the island of Britain was
known to the ancient
world as a source of tin.
(1)
2nd century BCE
In Gaul, in the 2nd

century BCE, the
Romans had intervened
the Mediterranean area
at the request of
Massilians, who were
under attack by other
tribes. The Romans
succeeded and had
conquered the area. In
58 BCE, Julius Caesar
invaded Gaul to assist
Gaulish allies and the
Gallic Wars began.(2)
55 BCE
The Gauls received help

from people in Britain,
and in 55 BCE(3), Julius
Caesar invaded Britain.
This invasion was not
successful, however, a
second attempt in 54
BCE, resulted in the
establishment of a client
kingdom in the
southeast.(4)

41 CE Caligula assassinated,
Claudius made
emperor.
With Gaul now a Roman

territory, the southeast
of Britain was exposed
to strong Roman
influences and common
interests. A Roman ally
in Britain was deposed
as the leader of a local
tribe, Emperor Claudius
ordered an invasion of
Britain. This was 97
years after Julius
Caesar’s invasion.(5)
43 CE Rome, under Emperor

Claudius, begins a full
scale invasion of
Britannia. (6)
54 CE Claudius dies, possibly

poisoned by his wife,
son Nero made
emperor.
60 CE Boudica's rebellion
nearly frees Britannia
from Roman control. (7)
68 CE Nero commits suicide.
69 CE Year of 4 emperors.
Vespasian ultimately
made emperor.

77 CE Gnaeus Julius Agricola

appointed governor of
Britannia. (8)
79 CE Titus becomes emperor.

Vesuvius erupts,
burying Pompeii.
Agricola takes 4 legions First Roman Invasion

(20,000 men) north, first
to the Forth River, then
to the Tay. There was
minimal resistance,
coping with the weather
largest dificulty. Forts
were constructed
between the Forth and
the Clyde. Titus extends
Agricola's term as
governor due to
success. (9)
Everything north of the

Forth-Clyde line was
Caledonia - "A zone of
mountains and trackless
forests seemingly
inhabited by wild,
naked, savages
untouched by
civilisation." No towns,
just crannogs,
souterrains, duns, and
brochs, inhabited by
warlike tribal societies
run by local chieftains.
(10)
81 CE Domitian becomes
emperor.


Agricola's legions
explore the west coast
of Caledonia and decide
on an east coast
advance.(11)
82 CE Agricola moves forward

to Strathmore. Natives
resist.(12)
83 CE
Agricola's term is not

likely to be extended
again. Domition is
interested in expanding
in Germany, wants
Caledonian campaign
wrapped up.(13) Late
summer, Battle of Mons
Graupius. 360 Roman
casualties and 10,000
Caledonian losses.
Calgacus lead the
Caledonian forces.
Agricola sends his fleet
around the north coast
to demonstrate
conquest.(14)
85 CE
After losses in
Germany, forces in
Britannia are reduced.
Highland line forts built.
(15)
87 CE


Many abandonments of
facilities in Scotland.(16)
96 CE Domitian assassinated.
Nerva appointed by the
Senate as emperor.
98 CE Trajan becomes
emperor.
117 CE Hadrian becomes

emperor.
138 CE Antoninus Pius

becomes emperor.
Antoninus Pius orders Second Roman

Roman forces north to Invasion
reclaim abandoned
territory.  
 
Antonine Wall is
constructed 142 CE to
143 CE out of turf on a
stone foundation. Wall is
37 miles long with fort-
lets every Roman mile.
Larger forts added later. 
 
Forces abandon the
wall and forts between
160 CE to 170 CE. A
brief re-occupation of
the Antonine Wall
around 180 CE was
short lived and all forces
return to Hadrian’s Wall.
(17)


161 CE Marcus Aurelius
becomes emperor
(along with Lucius
Verus).
177 CE Commodus becomes

emperor.
194 CE Septimius Severus

becomes emperor, after
'Year of Five Emperors'
In AD 208, Emperor
Septimius Severus
came to Britannia with
his sons Geta and
Caracalla. They and
40,000 men headed
past Hadrian’s Wall and
up the east coast. The
emperor battled his way
to the “end of the
island.” Treaties with the
natives were made. The
emperor and Caracalla
took the title
‘Britannicus,’ which
meant, ‘Conqueror of
Britain.’(18)
211 CE Caracalla becomes

emperor.
217 CE Caracalla murdered. 25

emperors until
Diocletian (284 AD)
284 CE Diocletian becomes

emperor.


305 CE Diocletian abdicates. 4
emperors until
Constantine.
306 CE Constantine I becomes

emperor.
313 CE Emperor Constantine

issues the Edict of
Milan, giving Christianity
legal status, but not
making it the official
language. Past wrongs
committed against
Christians should be
righted and not further
wrongs should be
committed. (19)
360 CE Picts raiding Roman

border.(20)
367 CE “Barbarian Conspiracy”

Picts raid in Britannia
while Franks and
Saxons attached Gaul.
(21)
380 CE Emperor Constantine

issues the Edict of
Thessalonica,
establishing empire-
wide orthodoxy based
on the principles
established by the
Council of Nicaea. (22)
400 CE


410 CE Roman rule in Britannia
ends when Emperor
Honorius writes a letter
to the towns of
Britannia, telling them to
do what was necessary
to defend themselves.
(23) Rome is sacked.
A boy named Patrick is

born to a Christian
family in Roman Britain.
(24)
First Ogham stones

erected (continued until
the 7th century. (25)
Roman Britain is in
decline. People in
Ireland are trading with
Britain (see
Drumanagh) and learn
about all the bounty
there. As Roman Britain
declines, Irish raid the
coast, taking booty and
slaves. In one such raid,
a 16 year old boy
named Patrick was
taken and sold into
slavery.(26)
Patrick, a Christian, is
enslaved, and taken to
Killala Bay area to work
on a sheep farm. He
finds Ireland to be very
different and strange.
(27)


Six years after being
captured,Patrick
escaped and returned to
Britain (aged 22-ish).
(28)
Around 432, Patrick

returnes to Ireland as an
ordained priest. (29)
Patrick mostly travels
around the north of
Ireland. (30)
450 CE
Enda, probably born

about this time in the
north of Ireland (31)
Patrick dies, either 492

or 496 (32).
476 CE Last Roman emperor of

the West deposed.(33)
Next class: Dal Riata and the Lordship of the Isles
Timeline Citations
(1) Historical Atlas of the Celtic World 2009, p. 82.
(2) Wikipedia, “Gaul,” retrieved 5/27/2013.
(4) Wikipedia, “Caesar’s invasions of Britain,” retrieved 5/27/2013.
(6) Keppie, 2004, p. 4.
(7) Keppie, 2004, p. 4.
(8) Keppie, 2004, p. 4.
(9) Keppie, 2004, pp. 6-7.
(10) Keppie, 2004, pp. 2-3.
(11) Keppie, 2004, p. 7.
(12) Keppie, 2004, p. 7.
(13) Keppie, 2004, p. 7.
(14) Keppie, 2004, p. 8.
(15) Keppie, 2004, p. 9.
(16) Keppie, 2004, p. 11.
(17) Keppie, 2004, pp. 11-15.
(18) Keppie, 2004, pp. 15-17.
(19) Wikipedia, Edict of Milan, retrieved 1/20/16
(20) de la Bédoyère, 2013, p.74.
(22) Wikipedia, Edict of Thessalonica, retrieved 1/20/16.
(24) McCaffrey, 2002, p. 99
(25) Ellison, 2007, p. 1.
(26) McCaffrey, 2002, pp. 97-98
(27) McCaffrey, 2002, p. 99
(28) McCaffrey, 2002, p. 100
(29) McCaffrey, 2002, pp. 101-102
(30) McCaffrey, 2002, p. 103
(31) McCaffrey, 2002, p. 124
(32) McCaffrey, 2002, p. 104
(33) Clarkson, 2011, Chapter 3, Paragraph 2.
Text & Timeline Sources:

‣ “The Roman Conquest of Britain.” The Historical Atlas of the Celtic World, 1st
paperback ed., 2009.
‣ Clarkson, Tim, The Makers of Scotland: Picts, Romans, Gaels, and Vikings, Birlinn
Limited, Edinburgh, Kindle eBook edition, 2012.
‣ de la Bédoyère, Guy, Roman Britain, A New History, 2nd. ed.,Thames & Hudson,
New York, 2013.
‣ Ellison, Rev. Robert Lee "Skip", Ogham: The Secret Language of the Druids, Ár
nDraíocht Féin Publishing, 2007
‣ Keppie, Lawrence. The Legacy of Rome, Scotland’s Roman Remains. Edinburgh:
John Donald Publishers, 2004.
‣ Magnusson, Magnus, Scotland – The Story of a Nation, Grove Press, New York, pp.
734, 2000.
‣ McCaffrey, Carmel & Leo Eaton, In Search of Ancient Ireland, New Amsterdam
Books, Chicago, pp. 286, 2002.


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Gaelic Language and Culture www.gaelicseattle.

Gaelic Language and Culture

1 Clarkson 2012, Ch. 1, Paragraph 4.

©2016 Geoffrey Sammons, All Rights Reserved. Updated 4/30/16

Timeline: 50 BCE to 500 CE

Tin is used in the

2nd century BCE

In Gaul, in the 2nd

The Gauls received help

©2016 Geoffrey Sammons, All Rights Reserved. Updated 4/30/16

Ireland Time Scotland Notes

With Gaul now a Roman

43 CE Rome, under Emperor

54 CE Claudius dies, possibly

68 CE Nero commits suicide.

©2016 Geoffrey Sammons, All Rights Reserved. Updated 4/30/16

Ireland Time Scotland Notes

77 CE Gnaeus Julius Agricola

79 CE Titus becomes emperor.

Agricola takes 4 legions First Roman Invasion

Everything north of the

©2016 Geoffrey Sammons, All Rights Reserved. Updated 4/30/16

Ireland Time Scotland Notes

82 CE Agricola moves forward

Agricola's term is not

©2016 Geoffrey Sammons, All Rights Reserved. Updated 4/30/16

Ireland Time Scotland Notes

117 CE Hadrian becomes

138 CE Antoninus Pius

Antoninus Pius orders Second Roman

©2016 Geoffrey Sammons, All Rights Reserved. Updated 4/30/16

Ireland Time Scotland Notes

177 CE Commodus becomes

194 CE Septimius Severus

211 CE Caracalla becomes

217 CE Caracalla murdered. 25

284 CE Diocletian becomes

©2016 Geoffrey Sammons, All Rights Reserved. Updated 4/30/16

Ireland Time Scotland Notes

306 CE Constantine I becomes

313 CE Emperor Constantine

360 CE Picts raiding Roman

367 CE “Barbarian Conspiracy”

380 CE Emperor Constantine

©2016 Geoffrey Sammons, All Rights Reserved. Updated 4/30/16

Ireland Time Scotland Notes

A boy named Patrick is

First Ogham stones

©2016 Geoffrey Sammons, All Rights Reserved. Updated 4/30/16

Ireland Time Scotland Notes

Around 432, Patrick

Enda, probably born

Patrick dies, either 492

476 CE Last Roman emperor of

Next class: Dal Riata and the Lordship of the Isles

Text & Timeline Sources:

©2016 Geoffrey Sammons, All Rights Reserved. Updated 4/30/16

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