The 5th century in Britannia part 10: Arthur’s 8th battle: Guinnion Fort: 489 AD:

 This article is my personal interpretation of events at this time. Any mistakes are my own.

At the Winter Solstice of 488AD, all the Kings are present once again at Caerleon for the Round Table Council:

Tutagaul: The usurped King of Alclud.

Einon: King of Gwynedd ( and Tutagauls host).

Cadell: King of Powys.

Geraint Llyngesic: King of Dumnonia and “ Navarch “ of the British Fleet.

Iddon Ap Ynyr: King of Gwent and close ally of Arthur.

This is a critical meeting. Arthur’s failure to pursue the Scots-Irish and Picts after the battle of the River Croquet is seen as a mistake. As the chorus of disapproval continues, Arthur’s temper starts to rise. At this  point Merlin, sensing the red mist enveloping Arthur, makes his presence felt. Although elderly and frail his mind is sharp and his eyes miss nothing. People fall silent at the sound of his voice;

“ The Saxons, Angles and Jutes ( collectively known to the Britons as Seaxons ) are now established in the East and as far West as Vectis ( the Isle of Wight ). Caw will attack Cambria ( the Roman name for Wales).. None of those present are strong enough to face the Dal and the Picts alone. None are prepared to work in alliance. The Commitatus led by the Pendragon is the only force that can face Caw”. The Dal and the Picts wish to restore their authority here. They will come in force”.

Arthur’s request that his army be expanded to 6000 men is reluctantly agreed to by the Council. King Iddon sends 2250 of his own men to Arthur.

In May of 489AD, Caw is Dunaverty, a Del Riatan settlement. It’s here that he meets Loarn Mac Eric, a High King of the Dal. He has bought 125 ships with 5000 warriors.. In agreement, Caw has also supplied another 5000 warriors with another 125 ships. Caw had nominated Briacat as war leader of his Pict army.

The three leaders are aware that the ships cannot make the trip down the West coast in one journey. Using the knowledge gained from warriors who have sailed the waters, a plan has been formed. 

In early June, the fleet sails from Dunaverty . The first landing is at Insulai Manavia ( the Isle of Man ). The warriors are told not to take slaves, only food and weapons. After the first trip of ninety miles, the next part of 54 miles is from Manavia to the Llyn Penninsular. Once there the fleet lands on the northern shore, just below the abandoned fort of Caer Gybi. Some warriors were once again sent ashore to gather what food they could find. On the next trip the fleet sails the 80 miles  to Aberaeron on the Gwent coastline,

As the warriors come ashore a camp is made. There is no opposition and no guards. On the third day, 8000 warriors start their advance South. The other 2000 are to guard the camp and raid the area.

At this time, Arthur is finally told of the enemy arrival. His suspicions have risen. Why had the Scouts not reported their presence?. On hearing the news Arthur orders the assembly. Light Cavalry were immediately sent out to find the enemy and report back. 1000 troops were assigned to defend Caerleon.

Within a few hours 5000 men of the Commitatus are ready to march. A few more hours and the Scouts come in to the fort. The word is, that the enemy are coming South toward Dolaucothi. Arthur orders the Army to  march to Brecon Gaer, a fort the Romans called Cicucium. This is where he will face the enemy. The fight for Cambria had begun.——————.

THE BRITON COMMITATUS: 5000 = 5pts x 8 = 40 points.

1 stand of Arthur’s Bucellari           @ 3 points.

4 stands of Veteran Infantry   @ 3pts = 12 points.

4 stands of Auxilliary Infantry  @ 2pts =  8 points.

4 stands of Light Archer Infantry  @ 1pt = 4 points.

3 stands of Auxilliary Cavalry  @ 2pts = 6 points.

Arthur  @ 3 points

Cadwy @ 2 points.

Owain  @ 2 points.

IDDON,S  MILITIA:  2250 = 2.250pts x8  = 18pts.

Rogatainus        @ 2pts.

4 stands of Archers  @ 1 pt = 4 pts.

6 stands of warriors @ 2pts = 12 pts.

THE SCOTS-IRISH ( DAL-RIATA ): 4000 = 4 pts x 8 = 32 points.

Learn Mac Eric    @ 2pts

4 stands of Archers/Slingers  @ 1pt = 4 pts.

12 stands of Warrior Infantry  @ 2 pts = 24 pts.

1 stand of Warriors on captured ponies.  @ 2 pts.

THE PICTS: 4000 = 4 pts x 8 = 32 pts ( inc 1000 Saxons ).

Briacat  @ 2 pts.

9 stands of Pict Warriors @ 2pts = 18 pts.

4 stands of Saxon Infantry  @ 2pts = 8pts.

4 stands of Light Archers @ 1 pt = 4 pts.

HISTORICAL NOTES:

Nennius wrote that Arthur’s 8th battle took place at Guinnion Fort. At first, I thought it might refer to Gobannium ( Abergavenny ). However archaeologists say that this was a wooden fort that fell apart after the Romans left the area sometime in the 3rd Century AD.

Brecon Gaer ( Roman Cicucium ) was the main fort in the area. It was a substantial structure and was inhabited well into the 5th century. At the height of the Roman occupation, this fort was one of the strongest Auxiliary forts in Wales, the stone wall dressed in white plaster ( the White Fort ? ). Arthur made a stand here but must have suffered a reversal because the next battle is at Caerleon, Arthur’s headquarters.

I have stated that the Scots-Irish, ( the Dal Riata ), and Picts were Arthur’s adversaries in this battle. Caw was an historical figure. He became war leader of the Picts and he did usurp Tutagaul and take Alclud ( Dumbarton Castle).

The Seaxons had suffered defeats from both Arthur and his late Uncle Ambrosius. Therefore they were in no state to mount another major attack. There was a continuous stream of Jutes, Angles and Saxons heading for Eastern Britain. The Briton “navy” such as it was spent most of its time guarding the Western coastline.  The ships could cope with one or two raiders but not with a whole fleet.

The Seaxons were preoccupied with settlement rather than attacking Cambria..Even then Arthur could not ignore that threat to concentrate on the situation in the North.

Arthur’s lack of striking power would have been noted by his enemies. The Picts and Scots could not advance on land as they would run the risk of being cut off from their homeland and starving to death.

Better to attack by sea, where they had a superior numbers and could strike where they wanted. I haven’t ruled out treachery either, with some of the Kings and Nobility jealous of Arthur’s success. What would be the future for their personal power and prestige ?. All this, and Medreut in the shadows————-.

GAME NOTES.

Those historians that have studied Arthur’s battles are split on wether this battle was on Hadrians Wall or within Wales. As far as I understand the situation, Hadrians Wall had, by this time, ceased to be of any military value. The forts along the wall had either fallen into disrepair or were occupied by small groups of locals.

I have gone with the latter conclusion, with Arthur’s headquarters being at Caerleon. King Iddon,s personal fortress being Carwent. Arthur must have lost this battle because Nennius puts Arthur’s next battle actually at Caerleon, therefore;

* The Scots-Irish and Picts retain the Initiative Point for the entire battle.

* The battle is played for 8 Game-Turns.

* The Scots and the Picts move first on the first Game-Turn.

* From Game Turns 2 to 8, both sides roll their die to determine who moves and fires first, who determines combat and wins any ties.

* I have represented the fort with a normal wall, my thinking being that although strong some decay would have set in. The wall itself counts as “ trench” for firing and close combat. The huts within the fort block movement and line-of-site..There may well have been the remains of a double ditch around the wall impeding movement.

* The winner, after 8 Game-Turns is the side that has lost the least number of stands.

CREDITS:

The Saxons, Scots-Irish and the majority of the Britons are Hat Industries figures. The Picts are from Redbox. Arthur, his Bucellari and his Veteran infantry and archers are from Newline Designs 20mm figures. The Boats are scratch built and the crew are Emhar Viking Ships crew.

The Picts and Scots standards were hand painted. Arthur’s standard and shield decals were from Little Big Man Studios.

The base cloth was from Deep Cut Studios. Some of the scenery tiles were made by Brian of Essex Miniatures supplemented by homemade ones consisting of two layers of cork tile. The trees were from various manufacturers one being Guagemaster.

The roads and rivers were of thin card. The stands were cut from picture framing card 40 x 40 mm square. The command stands are 40mm mdf and supplied by Minibits. The large mountains are made from blocks of roughed up packaging.

The buildings are from Peter Pig. The stone wall is from Alternative Armies.

The 5th Century in Britannia: Part 9, Arthur’s battle of Cat Coit Celidan; Battle of the River Croquet, June 488AD.

 This article is my personal interpretation of the events at that time. Any mistakes are my own.

During the Winter Solstice of 487AD, Arthur, with Merlin in attendance meets with the Kings at Caerleon. They are;

Tutagaul, King of Alclud.

Einon,  King of Gwynedd.

Cadell,  King of Powys.

Geraint Llyngesic,  King of Dumnonia.

Iddon Ap Ynyr,  King of Gwent.

At this time, the Seaxons were not staging any major incursions into Briton territory apart from sporadic raiding. Reluctantly, the Round Table Council have come to the conclusion that they cannot dislodge the Seaxons from the South and East coast, with more arriving every month. Arthur tells the Council that he cannot go on the offensive, lacking the troops to do so.

The decision is made to stay on the defensive with the border along the river Trent and Ouse being patrolled. King Geraint confirmed that his fleet would continue to cover the West Coast in order to deter Irish raiders.

As 488AD commences, the new recruits and Veterans are bought together at Caerleon for formation training. The Commitatus numbers 4,800 men. Arthur is still the Pendragon. By now the Suebians under Rogatainus are an established part of the Army

THE BRITON ARMY; 4,800 = 4.8pts  x 10 = 48 points.

Arthur,s Bucellarii = 400 = 0.4 pts x 10 = 4 pts. 1 stand of Heavy Cavalry @ 4 pts.

Light Cavalry Regulars = 400 = 0.4 pts x 10 = 2 stands of Regular Light Cav @ 2 pts = 4pts.

Line Infantry Veterans = 1,200 = 1.2 pts x 10 = 12 points = 4 stands of Regular Infantry @ 3pts = 12pts.

Auxiliary Infantry ( the Suebians ) = 1,200 = 1.2 pts x 10 = 12 points = 6 stands of Auxilliary Infantry @ 2pts = 12 points.

Regular Lt Infantry Archers = 800 = 0.8 pts x 10 =  8 points = 8 stands of Archers @ 1 point = 8pts.

Arthur @ 3 points.

Owain  @ 2 points.

Rogatainus @ 2 points.

Cadwy @ 1 point.

As the Army trains, raiding and counter-raids continue across the frontier.  Merlin is also using his powers of perception and network of spies to ascertain movements of the enemy. Merlin has quietly warned Arthur that Medreut with Cadwallons help, is fomenting discord among the Kings to the detriment of Arthur’s position as Pendragon.

As April turns into May of 488AD the relative calm at Caerleon is shattered by the unexpected arrival of Tutagaul accompanied by 300 of his Bucellarii and a troop of horse warriors from Gwynedd.

In a hastily assembled Council, Tutagaul relates the events in Alclud. Tutagaul has been deposed in a coup led by a noble named as Caw, assisted by his son Hueil. Both have gained the support of Drest 2nd, a high King of the Picts. Also supporting Caw is Loarn Mac Eric, the High King of the Dal-Riata ( the Scots-Irish ). Loarn has sent Briacat, Grandson of Hengist and son of Pascent!.

The conclusion is reached that Caw will not invade Gwynedd. Einon has a powerful army lately reinforced by troops loyal to Tutagaul. The “ Caledonian “ Army could head south-east to attack the territory of the Votadinii, a Briton tribe on the eastern side of Alclud. The possibility is that the Caledonians could ally with the Seaxons of Lindsey.

Arthur’s mind is set. He is aware that his army is not strong enough for a major offensive, but he cannot let the Caledonians rampage south or link up with the Seaxons. Five days later, the army is marching north to Luguvallium ( Carlisle ). Along the way Arthur has requested troops from Einon, who sends 1,000 Gwynedd Militia backed up with 1,000 troops of Tutagaul,s.

From Luguvallium, the army marches east to Onnum ( an old cavalry fort ). This position is between Lindsey to the south, and any army approaching from the north. Scouts are sent north along Dere Street and The Devils Causeway. It is not long before they come back on lathered horses. The Caledonian Army is a days march away, camped on the north bank of the Coccuueda ( river Croquet ) and spread out east to west across the Causeway road.

The next day Arthur orders a short march and encampment with the troops sleeping under arms. The following morning the army, in full panopoly appears at the river. Greeting them with a huge roar is an 8,000 strong Caledonian army of Picts, Scots-Irish, and bolstered by 2,000 Saxons. Once again, Arthur is facing an enemy army across a small river in desolate country, quietly praying that his men will prevail.———-.

THE ALLIED CALEDONIAN ARMY; 8,000 = 8pts x 10 = 80 points.

Chieftain;  Caw @ 2 points.

THE PICTS 2,300 = 2.3 pts x 10 = 23pts.

9 stands of Pict warriors    @ 2 points = 18 points.

2 stands of archers/crossbows @ 1pt = 2 points.

2 stands of Light Cavalry @ 1pt = 2 points.

1 Warleader, ( Hueil )  @ 1 point.

THE DAL RIATA ( Scots-Irish ); 3,500 = 3.5pts x 10 = 35 points.

12 stands of warriors  @ 2 pts = 24 points.

4 stands of Light Chariots  @ 2 pts = 8 points.

2 stands of Light Archers  @ 1pt = 2 points.

1 Warleader ( Briacat )  @ 1 point.

THE SAXONS; 2,000 = 2pts x 10 = 20 points.

9 stands of warriors  @ 2 points = 18 points.

1 stand of Light Archers  @ 1 point

1 Warleader ( Aelfhere )  @ 1 point.

GWYNEDD MILITIA: 1,000 = 1 point x 10 = 10 points.

4 stands of Militia Infantry @ 2pts = 8 points.

2 stands of Light Infantry Archers @ 1pt = 2points.

ALCLUD MILITIA; 1,000 = 1 point x 10 = 10 points.

Tutagaul  @ 1 point.

2 stands of Light Cavalry @ 1pt = 2 points.

1 stand of Light Archers  @ 1 point.

3 stands of Militia Infantry @ 2pts = 6 points.

As the two armies face each other,the archers of both sides pepper each other with missiles. The Briton army wins the missile exchange. It is to much for the Picts, and Caw, seeing his warriors starting to surge signals his warriors to attack. As the Picts charge the Dal and the Saxons follow. The Chariots of the Scot- Irish try to skirmish and, although the river is shallow the chariots are either immobilised by missiles or forced away from the battle. 

Arthur’s infantry have the advantage of ground on their side of the river and after a long fight the Caledonians and Saxons start to tire. Finally the Caledonian army starts to break and Arthur unleashes his Cavalry.————-.

GAMING THE BATTLE.

* The battle is played for 8 Game-Turns.

* The Britons retain the Initiative Point for the entire battle.

* The Caledonian Army moves first on the first Game-Turn. Game-Turns 2 to 8 are diced for as given in the rules.

* The river Coquet does not impede movement. The river is very shallow in June. Stands may also fire and engage in Close Combat with no restrictions while positioned in the river.

* The Britons win any tied results.

HISTORICAL NOTE;

When Nennius wrote of Arthur’s seventh battle he said;

  “ Septimum in Silva Celidonis quae Bryttanicae cacoit celidan nominatur “.

This translates as; “ The seventh in the wood of celandine which is called the cacoit of Brittanicae celidan”.

All the established Historians put the battle north of Carlisle in the Caledonian Forest. I’m not so sure.

Celandine is a plant that looks like a giant buttercup. This plant grows in abundance on the eastern side of Britain because of the soil.

The word “Cat Coit” is given as Cacoit and I looked around the Ordinance Survey Map of Roman Britain, to see if I could find any similarity with Cacoit, and found the river Coquet. In a document called “ The Ravenna Cosmology” circa 700AD, the river is called the Coccuueda.

In a paper by the Bernician Studies Group published in 2021, the river was also called the Cocwudu. The river rises in the Cheviot Hills and flows eastward toward the east coast. As it does so the land becomes more open.

The Roman Road of Dere Street crossed the Coquet from Corbridge on Hadrians Wall, all the way north to the Antonine Wall. Dere Street ran through hill country. The Devils Causeway is further east, running from Corbridge, north- east, up to the Roman port of Certisnassa ( Berwick- upon- Tweed ). There was a further road running east to west connecting the two main roads. North of the Coquet the land gradually rises up toward Rothbury Forest and the start of the Cheviot Hills.

Why would the Caledonians fight here. My reasoning is;

* The Picts were concentrated on the eastern side of Caledonian and had the use of Roman roads which went through Briton territory.

* The Scots-Irish could not move by sea southward because of the Briton fleet guarding the west coast. They would move across country via Loch Lomond.

* The Caledonians would not want to move directly into Briton territory down the west side of Brittania.

* The ground within the Votadini territory was more open with settlements ripe for raiding.

* The possibility of joining up with Germanic groups to create a larger force to invade the Briton Provinces.

POSTSCRIPT;

Caw and Hueil are both historical characters. Pascent and Briacat are not verified although I have found their names given in historical listings.

During the last part of the battle Hueil was captured. Many of the Picts and Scots Irish were killed during the pursuit. Arthur carried on this action for two days before calling a halt. Caw and Briacat had managed to escape along with a number of Saxons. Arthur did not want the army to fragment because of the continual threat of Seaxon incursions.

On his return to Caerleon, Arthur encamps his army at Deva ( Chester ) where he meets up with King Einon. The King requests that Hueil be handed to him for royal execution. This is because Einon is of the Votodinii and wants revenge for the death of his kin.

Arthur was hoping to use Hueil as a bargaining chip with Caw, but realised that he needs to keep the peace with the Briton Kings knowing that treachery is ever-present. Einon has Hueil taken to Ruthin ( Castel coch yng Ngwern-for ) which is regarded as a mystical place. Tutagaul, in a ritual execution has Hueil put to death.

Note: There is a stone marker in Ruthin marking the place where Hueil was executed.

Arthur continues his march to Caerleon knowing he has only gained a breathing space for the Briton Kingdoms. Merlin has foretold of the storm coming once again.

Having made it back to Alclud, Caw calls all his supporters together. Realising that Arthur has not razed his territories, Caw uses the situation to point out how weak the Briton army has become. It can win battles but cannot win Wars! Now is the time to plan an attack on Arthur’s stronghold in league with the Seaxons and swears revenge for his son!

THE SET-UP;

The figures used are mostly from Hat Industries, using the Goth and Roman Medium Infantry sets. The Picts are from Red Box. The chariots are converted from Hat British Chariots..The Roman Light cavalry are from Hat and the Native Light Cavalry are from Hats Gothic Cavalry.

Arthur and some of the Roman light archers and the Bucellarii are from Newline designs, Nearly all the standards are homemade except for Arthur’s standard and the Bucellari shields which are from Little Big Man Decals. The shields are from Magister Militum.

The hills are a mixture of those made by Brian of Essex Miniatures and home made ones from cork tiles. The trees are made by various manufactures, Guagemaster being one of them. The road and river were cut from thin card. The battle was laid out on a 3 foot ( 90 cm ) x 2 foot (60 cm ) board of 2” ( 50cm ) squares.

Roman Britain part 3: The Opposition.

As explained previously the Roman Army of Britain in the 4th Century suffered repeated raids from tribes on the periphery of Britannia.

The Picts:

This group of people lived North of Hadrians Wall  The Picts lived in the Central and Eastern part of  what is now Scotland. The Romans called the area Caledonia. At one stage the Romans tried to bring this area under their  control.

To do this the Antonine Wall was built, North of Hadrians Wall. This wall was made of turf. It was not held for long as the Romans realised that holding the territory was not gaining any advantage. Eventually, Hadrians Wall marked the Northern  boundary of Roman Britain.

As the Roman garrisons on the Wall were reduced the Picts saw their chance to launch raids into Roman territory.

The warriors themselves went into battle semi-naked, their bodies being tattooed in a blue dye.
Only the Chiefs wore any sort of armour if at all. More usually just a helmet. All the warriors carried a shield either square or round.

Only the Chiefs carried swords. The warriors carried a mix of javelins with either spears or axes. Some also carried long spears thus when they assumed a basic close order formation, the long spears would extend out over the front rank.

Some of the men may have been armed with crossbows and short bows..
The Picts used horses or ponies probably ridden by the nobles and their hearth troops.

The raiding parties could range from maybe 50 or 60 men up to 4,000 warriors for a serious attack. As previously stated, the Picts were also capable of mounting seaborne raids as well, using small ships carrying 50/60 men.

The Scots-Irish or "Scotti".

These people lived on the East Coast of Ireland ( known to the Romans as Hibernia ) and the West Coast of Scotland ( Caledonia).
 The warriors raided the coast of Wales, Devon and Cornwall. Wales was called Britannica Secunda. Devon and Cornwall together were known as Dumnonia which became part of the Roman Province of Britannica Superior.

The Scots-Irish were very much like the Picts with the same mix of weapons. The Scots-Irish were also known as the Del Riatta, " the people of the Chariot ".  I don't know if they were actually using chariots in this era. However in recent times some metal parts of chariot harness have been found in the North-East of England. Therefore personally I've gone in favour of a bit of colour and added some to my collection!.

These would be light chariots which in my own rules have a chance to avoid combat.
The Scots-Irish also had ships capable of carrying 50/100 men.

Both the Picts and the Scots-Irish were not enemies who were easy to beat, especially when allied to the terrain they operated in, which was a tangle of hills, valleys and forests.

Like the Picts, pitched battles were a rarity with guerrilla tactics being the norm. Warbands could be 30 to 50 individuals up to about 3 or 4,000 strong for a serious attack.

By about the 8th century ( I think?) both nations had amalgamated in Caledonia to become the Scots.

The Saxons ,Angles and Jutes.

These people were the ones who exercised the most influence over Roman Britain and its future history especially in England.

During the time of the Roman Empire these three nations shared the territory of Denmark, which if I understand correctly was called Himlingoje at this time.

By the 4th century there were groups of these people already living in this country. They had been bought in by the Roman army and settled here as Federated troops.

Update 25th August 2010
As stated in a previous article, any Angles, Saxons or Jutes in Britannia prior to 450AD would have been living within the military posts
They may have bought their families in with them or married into the local British population.

Most of the warriors were armed with shields and a long knife with a single edge called a seax. Throwing weapons were javelin and spears. Those warriors who were really poor carried a bow.

The Chieftains, apart from having swords and shields could also have had body armour.
On the continent, the Saxons lived in close proximity to the Frank's, so, there is a chance that the Saxons had horse-handling skills. They could also have used the throwing axe ( the fransisca ) and the spiculum ( a metal javelin akin to a pilum ).

Those warriors recruited into the Army would be armed with Roman equipment.

Like the Picts and Scots-Irish, the Angles, Saxons and Jutes were also capable seafarers.

These Germanic people were capable and loyal troops until the money ran out. There is a history of embezzlement in this and subsequent eras of the Late Empire.
Some Roman officers were retaining money that was supposed to go to the men.
There was also "dead mans pay" where Officers drew money for more men than they actually had!.

This was one of the reasons why, when someone like Maximus came along and looked after the troops they in turn would promote the General in his quest for Imperial power.


Frankish and Frisian Pirates.

As previously stated the "Saxon" raiders could have been Franks or Frisians. As they spoke a Germanic dialect the Britons could have just labelled them "Saxon" as the Romans did.

The Franks and Frisian when they came in as raiders sometimes allied themselves with the Picts. It would not be unusual to have Romano-Saxon troops fighting  these other tribesmen.

By the end of the 4th  century the situation in Britannia continued to get worse but luckily the Civil Administration continued to operate albeit in a ramshackle state!

There is a possibility that the Christian Decuriones ( the rich, land-owning Civil administrators ) paid some of the troops to protect their area and property, giving the rise to private armies. This was happening within other parts of the Empire.

The figures are mostly from Hat miniatures. The Scots-Irish chariots are Hat Miniatures Gaulish Chariots.  The chariot figures have different heads and shields. The Pictish Army is mix of Hat Saxons, Hat Gothic Cavalry, and Red Box Pict Infantry. The Saxons are a mix of Hat Goth Infantry and Miliart German Tribesmen.

 The Roman heavy cavalry are a mix of Roman, Sassanian and Parthian Heavy cavalry with changed heads. Some of the horses are Ceaser miniatures. The spears and lances are 28mm from North Star. All the Roman infantry are from Hat Late Roman Auxilliaries. The fortifications are scratchbuilt as are the boats. The stand are 40mm square picture framing cardboard. The round bases are 40mm mdf from Minibits.

Roman Britain ; Part 1, The 4th century. 301AD to 400AD.

This was a time of great change right across Europe. The Roman Empire was slowly collapsing from the inside as various claimants both Roman and non Roman fought for the Emperors throne both in the East and West.

Having two Emperors, one in each half of the Empire did not halt the Roman Empire,s enthusiasm for Civil War.

In order to make up the drain on manpower each Roman leader was forced by lack of financial resources to recruit tribesmen into the army.

During the Republic and the early years of the Empire, the state always recruited auxiliary troops from the races they either conquered,or cowed into cooperating with them. These non-Roman troops were kept apart from the Regular Army.

Now however times had changed and these former auxiliaries were now fully integrated into the system. Wether they liked it or not Roman Officers had no choice!.

The former tribal leaders of these Foederatii or federated troops were made Prefects and their Warbands became Cohorts. They were then posted to areas within the Empire away from their original homeland.

For example, in 370AD a Saxon chieftain by the name of Fruomarius was made a Tribune and he, along with a "Numerus "( Cohort) of his men were posted to Britain.

Britannia had been suffering tribal raids for some time. As Imperial contenders tussled for Power, the Army had to operate despite troop shortages. The situation had not improved during 365/ 371 AD, in the Great Barbarian Conspiracy.

 It seems the Roman Secret Service ( the Arcana) failed in collecting information on the preparations made by the various opposing Nations. The Western Frontier suddenly came under attack from the East, the North and South all at once.

The Germanic Allemani, Franks and Saxons, were plundering Gaul and Raetia.
The Sarmatians and Quadii were attacking Pannonia.

Picts,  Frankish pirates, Frisians, Scotti and Attacotti ( also known as the Del Riatta? ) were raiding South of Hadrians Wall. These tribesmen were coming over or through the Wall where it was thinly held. When not attacking the Wall they would sail down the East or West Coast and outflank the Wall completely.

The Asturianii of Tripolis and Berbers were raiding colonies on the North African coast. At one stage the Romans could not retaliate because of the lack of pack camels.

The Goths were raiding Pannonia, and the Persians Armenia.

Roman troops in Britannia had not been paid, therefore they deserted and formed bands of looters sometimes even joining with the tribesmen.

In 368AD Theodosius came to Britannia to correct the situation.Marching from London he sent out companies of soldiers lightly armed to break up the mobs of mutineers and bandits along with marauding tribesmen.

After about a year of campaigning Theodosius managed to restore order. Mutineers were executed and tribal raiders were killed or driven off. Hadrians Wall was regarrisoned.

The 6th Legion upgraded their fort at Eboricum. ( modern day York ).

In 383AD the acting Commander of the British Army, Magnus Maximus was proclaimed Emperor by the troops. Maximus took a fair number of troops from the North of England and headed to Gaul for a showdown with the current Western Emperor Gratian.

In the subsequent battles Maximus was killed. Many of his soldiers did not want to return to Britain and so they settled on the West coast of Gaul. The area was called Brettania which was also known as Amorica (modern day Brittany ).

In 398AD the Western Roman Magister Militum ( Army Commander in Chief ) Stilicho, came with an army to Britain. He waged a campaign against the Picts and the Scotti setting out from the fortification of Hadrians Wall.

His force was said to be nine Units of Commitatenses ( these were regular field army troops maybe 18,000 men ). By about 350 AD, the old Legions  had been split in half ,each part being known as a " Junior" or " Senior" formation.

 In the Eastern part of the Empire some of the old Legions may have still retained their original formation. The new formations were about 2000 men strong, and were all one type of Infantry. Cavalry formations were also of 2000 men and again were all the same troop type.

This was ok for the bigger battles, but increasingly  warfare was being fought by smaller formations within the Empire itself:  A) because of the lack of resources, and B) Roman troops could not be everywhere to counter the tribal incursions. It was not unusual for regular troops to face " barbarian" troops dressed and armed in the same fashion!.

Most military formations were either Infantry Cohorts ( Numerus) or Cavalry Ala ( Banda ), led by a Tribune or a Prefect. These formations were about 300 to 500 men in total.It seems that as time went on , if you had 300 men in your formation you were doing well,.

Larger battle groups were made up of a number of cohorts or Ala or a mix of both. Usually it was a case of making do with what was available.

On the rivers , Naval units known as " Riparenses" patrolled the major waterways in an effort to break up raiding Warbands, either before they crossed the border or as they made their way back encumbered with loot and slaves. The Roman vessels were painted blue/grey and held about 50 men.

The Rhine and the Danube marked the border of the Western Empire. In 367 AD and for two years after, the Rhine flooded making it difficult to campaign in the area.

Events on the Continent continued to slowly disintegrate as Germanic tribes pushed Westward. Senior Germanic Chieftains obtained Praetorian status in the Army as Roman Emperors and Generals were forced to negotiate. Lack of troop numbers meant that sometimes matters could not be settled by main force.

 These Tribal recruits were given training but stilled retained some of their own customs. The Roman Army was becoming less " Italian" and more " Germanic". Even the Eagle Standards were being replaced with the Draco, a metal dragons head on a staff with material attached shaped like a Windsock. Such was the situation as Britain headed into the 5th century and more problems on the horizon.


Addendum added 8th July 2020:

Having read more about the 3rd and 4th  century I am more inclined to believe that the " Saxon" raiders mentioned in the histories are Frankish or Frisian pirates. The reason for this is that there were already Saxon Federated troops  within the Roman army, some being posted to Britannia. The Franks and Saxons detested each other and, at this time the Saxons had not yet migrated to the West coast of Europe. The word "Saxon" may have been used by the Romans to describe all Germans.


The figures in the illustrations are Hat Industries with some Newline Designs. The ship's crew are Emhar Viking crew. The spears and javelins are from North Star. Some of the shields are from Magister Militum.

 The boats are scratch built, along with the fort and the ballista. I think the buildings are Hovels and Peter Pig. The tree area bases and road sections are S and A Scenics. The trees are various manufacturers.

The wagons, mules and civilians, are from Ceaser Miniatures Roman Supply Train boxes.