Agricola took up his duties in Britain in the year 78. He was two years campaigning in North Britain and Wales before he felt secure enough to begin his advance into Scotland.

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The northern Celts had not been unaware of the Roman advance to the north. One hill fort thought to have been strengthened at this tine was The Chesters in East Lothian. It had received extra ramparts.

The great project began in the year 81. The Romans launched across the Tyne and the Edin into the territory of the Selsoyae and Votadini in two columns. One army moved up the Annan River valley, the Annandale, and the other through Lauderdale. The terrain along both axis of advance was extremely rough and varied. Progress was difficult, but there was little resistance The Celtic inability to act In concert and attack the eneny at this juncture lost then a golden opportunity to catch the Romans at a disadvantage in unfavourable circumstances

The two colunns re-united at Inveresk, then together penetrated further into the land between the Forth and the Clyde. Forces were filtered off to the southwest into Galloway to deal with another tribe, the Novantae.

The next year was spent securing the newly overrun areas and planting a number of garrisons in forts between the Clyde and the Forth, which would later be incorporated into a new frontier, the Antonine Hall. To quote Tacitus, "The enemy had been pushed into what was virtually another island."

Final Push

By the year 83 Agricola was ready for the final push. This phase of the campaign was carefully thought out and executed. Both the east and west coasts were reconnoitered by sea, exploring the possibilities of an amphibious attack fron either direction. A direct advance into the Highlands would have been folly.

The heavy Roman infantry would have been at a distinct disadvantage against an extremely mobile foe who knew the difficult terrain and was expert at ambush. Geography ultimately decided the form of the campaign.

The army would march up the eastern coastal plain. Forts would be built at the mouths of the sleas which opened to the plain. Those would provide a chock to assaults on the line of supply. The army would also lie supplied through the efforts of the fleet, which would be well able to provide uninterrupted Support in men and material to the advancing legionaires.

Thirty thousand troops folllowed their standards northwards. Their route is thought to have been through Strathallan, Strathearn, Strathmore and beyond to Stirling, then on to the foothills of the Grampians. It was then that the resistance of the Caledonians stiffened, and one can sense the presence of the Shadow war chieftan Calgacus planning, organizing and inspiring the wild highlanders. They attacked a Roman fort with such determination that it appears some advocated a dignified retreat to behind the Forth. The Romans, however, beat then off, regrouped and pushed on.

Briton Attack

The Britons were not dismayed. They next made a fierce night assault on the camp of the legion IX Hispana. This was a nasty bit of business for the Romans. The sentries were killed and the perimeter broached. The situation was only retrieved by the quick reaction of Agricola himself, who was able to bring the entire army by dawn and take the Caledonians in the roar. The canny highlanders faded into their forests and marshes. They may have been a more serious check to the Romans than Tacitus wanted us to know. We hear of no further initiatives on their part until the next year.

84 A.D. Was the last year of Agricola's governorship of Britain. Large events build their own momentum. The fleet barraged and plundered the coastal areas. The Caledonians rallied to Calgacus, a potent and ever increasing force, and the persistent Romans doggedly continued their advance northward to Mons Graupius.

Where was Mons Graupius?

The site of the battlefield is not known with certainty. In 1978 J.X. St. Joseph and David Wilson of the Cambridge University Areial Photography Unit published results of their research making a strong case that the long sought location is in the hill mass of Bennachie, five and one halt kilometers southwest of Durno, (the site of an Agricolan camp).

Tacitus sketches the Roman dispositions with detail. The legionaires formed a reserve outside the ramparts of the camp. In front were eight thousand auxiliary infantry with three thousand cavalry divided between the flanks, and led by a commander, who in the heat of battle would fight on foot at the head of his men.

Thirty thousand Caledonians faced thenmdrawn up in tiers on higher ground, fearless warriors, tall, fair or red haired ... in primitive tartan, shields and helmets gay with enamel. They were followed by thousands of haft naked, bare-footed infantry, bearing small wooden shields with a boss, and armed with spears with a knob at the end which could be clashed with terrifying noise.

In the space between the armies the British aristocracy furiously manoeowed their chariots while hurling abuse at their foe and boasting of their prowess in true Celtic fashion.

The action commenced with the usual exchange of missills, followed by the advance of six cohorts of Batavi and Tungri auxiliaries, Germanics from the mouth of the Rhine. Nobody could describe it better than Tacitus.

"The Maneuver was ... most inconvenient to the enemy with their small shields and unwieldy swords -- swords without a thrusting point, and therefore unsuited to the clash of arm in close fighting. The Batavi began to rain blow after blow, push with the bosses of their shields and stab at their enemies in their faces. They routed the enemy on the plain and pushed on uphill. This provoked the post of our cohorts to drive in bard and butcher the enemy as they met him. Many Britons were left behind half dead or even unwounded, such was the speed of our victory."

The Caledonians tried an outflanking movement which was repelled by an uncommitted cavalry reserve. Next, the Romans issued a flanking manoeuvre of their own which met with success. Tacitus again speaks:

"The spectacle that followed over the open country was awe-inspiring and grim. Our men followed hard took prisoners and then kilied them ...on the enemy's side ... some bands, though armed, fled before inferior numbers. Some men, though unarmed, insisted on charging to their deaths. Weapons, bodies, severed limbs lay all around and the earth reeked of blood."

The victory was complete and decisive. It was claimed ten thousand Britons had died, for the loss of three hundred and sixty on Roman side, Once more we go to Tacitus:

"The next day revealed the quality of the victory more distinctly. A grim silence reigned on every hand, the hills were deserted, only here and there was smoke seen rising from chimneys is the distance, and our scouts found no one to encounter them."

Next issue we shall examine the quality at that Roman victory. After all, the frontier was eventually established far to the South. Was it a victory? We shall also reveal sent astounding facts about the great Legion Fortress built at Inchtuthil at a respectable distance north of the Clyde - Forth line.