Who Was the Caledonian General Who Fought the Romans? Calgacus and the Roman Invasion of Scotland
Channel: Celtic History Decoded
Date: 2023-08-13

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Who Was the Caledonian General Who Fought the Romans? Calgacus and the Roman Invasion of Scotland

Well over 1,000 miles from the warmth of Rome, in the wild northern reaches of Roman influence, an epic battle was fought in the north-east of the land we call Scotland today, known as Caledonia to the Romans. The Battle of Mons Graupius, fought in either 83 or 84 AD, was a crucial battle in the Roman invasion of Caledonia that resulted in a great victory for the Romans. Yet Caledonia was a land they could not fully conquer, partly due to the ferocity of the locals; namely, the Caledonians. 

The Roman historian Tacitus describes the inhabitants of Caledonia as having “red-gold hair and massive limbs that proclaim German origin.” Although we do not have too many descriptions of individual Caledonians, Tacitus does refer to one specific Caledonian leader: a man called Calgacus. He is in fact the first Caledonian to be recorded in history, and is described as the chieftain of the Caledonian Confederacy, a series of smaller tribes that unified under the Caledonian banner and fought against the Romans at the Battle of Mons Graupius. Tacitus describes Calgacus as the outstanding leader of the Caledonians due to his “valour and nobility.” His name can be interpreted as meaning "possessing a blade", although other sources suggest his name is more closely translated as “the swordsman.” Whether the word is a name or a title is unknown. 

At the Battle of Mons Graupius, the Caledonians are thought to have raised an army of around 30,000 men to confront a highly-trained Roman force of approximately half the size. Prior to this battle, the Caledonians had tried to avoid fighting the Romans in a pitched battle, using more guerrilla warfare tactics. The Romans only managed to bring the Caledonians to the battlefield after they marched on the Caledonians main granaries, just after they had been filled after the harvest. The Caledonians were left with two choices: fight or starve. 

The Romans were led by Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who ruled as the consul and governor of Britannia beginning in 77AD. Importantly to note, Agricola was actually Tacitus’ father-in-law, so Tacitus’ account of event most likely contains bias, although he is a fascinating primary source regardless. Despite their inferior numbers, the well-trained Roman legions won a decisive victory, with around 10,000 Caledonians thought to have died on this bloody occasion, although this is probably an exaggeration.

Sources:

Calgacus https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/britannia/monsgraupius/calgacus.html 

Tacitus, Agricola and Germany (Oxford University Press: 1999) p.21 for the speech.  

Calgacus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgacus 

Calgacus https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803095542724;jsessionid=B69466E1A7D0E61425E4EB219B3FECE6 

Scotsman - Scottish quote of the day: Calgacus, before the battle of Mons Graupius, Scottish Highlands, AD83/4: https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/scottish-quote-of-the-day-calgacus-before-the-battle-of-mons-graupius-scottish-highlands-ad834-1619687 

Celtic History Decoded - The Roman-Inspired Statue Arria and Antonine Wall, the True Northern Frontier of the Roman Empire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_RQdTHlBpM 

Battle of Mons Graupius https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Mons_Graupius 

Britannica: Gnaeus Julius Agricola https://www.britannica.com/biography/Gnaeus-Julius-Agricola 
Tacitus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tacitus 

#history #scotland #caledonia 

Caledonians Caledonia Roman Invasion of Scotland Battle of Mons Graupius