The Roman Fort at Caernarvon : Segontium

© Kanovium Project

This image taken at Segontium Roman fort during September of 2002, illustrates two things, first the urban nature of the fort site, and secondly the unusual siting of the Roman buildings seen in the corner of the fort.  Segontium differs from Kanovium, not only in shape, but also in the continuing nature of the occupation. Being a rectangle in difference to Kanovium’s archaic square, and these buildings are of a civilian nature, being inserted into the south west corner at a time of reduced garrison strength, the bath -house, left, during the later 3rd century.  The bath-house would seem to be unfinished because it showed no sign of being fired for use.  Segontium fort stands at the top of a tall knoll overlooking the Medieval castle town of Caernarvon, and is nearly today surrounded on all sides by modern council houses, a school and St Peblig’s church.  This image is taken from the A4085, which bisects the fort rectangle.  Here we see the south western corner looking west toward the distant mountain range Yr Eifl, often called wrongly by the English ‘The Rivals’.  This is the area of many Iron Age strongholds, in particular Tr y Ceirw, or ‘The Town of The Giants’ and it is no surprise to see the auxiliary fort of Segontium being built looking west (Roman forts, in particular the principia and the porta Praetoria gate always faced the enemy) while at a later date the local folk became sympathetic to the aims of Rome and Segontium allowed the hillfort walls to remain in place, in a slightly diminished form to allow Roman access if need be.  This relaxed approach to the locals, and Roman style hillfort defences has already been noted at Pen y Corddyn Mawr hillfort, near Llandulas on the north coast of Wales.  Also to be seen on this image is the robbed out remains of a courtyard house, of 2nd century date, the home of a civilian official, who may have been in charge of local mineral extraction, according to the Segontium visitors leaflet.  This also had a small personal bathhouse, and was bordered by a wall.

The initial story of Segontium is similar to Kanovium, I quote from the visitor leaflet and tour, 

‘Founded during the autumn of A.D 77 the governer of Britannia, Cnaeus Julius Agricola, completed the conquest of Wales by suppressing a rebellion of the Ordovices and then capturing Mona - the isle of Anglesey’

Right away Anglesey features prominently in the Roman interest, today, we are blank on the level of Roman intelligence regarding newly conquered territory, did they know of the Parys Mountain copper deposits at this early stage? and equally twelve miles away in the Conwy Valley did the garrison know of the even more prolific deposits available on the Great Orme?  It would appear that the Romans certainly knew Mona was a Druidic stronghold, and according to Francis Lynch, Prehistoric Anglesey, Anglesey Antiquarian Society 1991, it had been a place of refuge to Belgic (Northern Gaulish) peoples since the time of Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul.  The Belgic connection is not vast, being confined to the rich hoard of material at Llyn Cerrig Bach, now Valley Airfield, and two brooches found in the 1980’s at Glyn, and near Amlwch on Anglesey.  But it is likely that if intelligence stretched as far as who lived in the area, it would certainly already have been asked just what assets did these people have?  We have  garrisons then regarding Mona and the Great Orme, it is no surprise that Llanddulas with the copper and lead deposits (iron at Betws yn Rhos) had a Roman military presence at Pen y Corddyn Mawr, and likewise the Talar Goch lead mine at Prestatyn, had a fairly large industrial settlement at it’s base, with evidence of the 20th legion Valeria Victrix.  So the Roman army + new territory + time on their hands = the desire to make money by exploiting the local assets.

The original A.D. 77 garrison (A.D 78 for Kanovium, and A.D 75 for Caerleon) seems to have been for 1000 soldiers, expert opinion, usually by counting the amount of barracks/size of principle buildings, is of an opinion it was for an infantry cohort, possibly more likely a mixed ‘equis’ in my opinion, North Wales is not really the terrain for infantry scuffles, no trouble makers are likely to present themselves to several centuries of auxiliaries.  The plan is conventional but the one we see now is of 4th century date, and has more in common with 4th century wall forts such as Housesteads, this later day re-use of the fort possibly being in connection with Irish raiders (after the Roman’s metal?) sweeping the North Wales coast at this time, certainly an indication of Roman weakening of control that they dared show their faces.  This Irish theory is perplexing, especially now when there is some evidence to actual Roman conquest of Ireland (if not occupation).  This large garrison would not have been practical to tie down in one place, once the place was peaceful, and as with all the other Welsh forts, a garrison reduction was evident around A.D 120, and while romantically it might point to the units having been moved to Northumberland to build Hadrian’s famous wall, it may just represent normal Roman policy in running down a fort once the locals accepted Roman dominance.  The plan of Segontium we see today is confusing and shows 2nd, 3rd and 4th century structures, and as such should not be seen as a classic Roman fort, Kanovium is rather more typical in this respect, but the occupation is so different it just cannot be compared, Segontium represents, possibly, continual occupation from A.D 77 to A.D 394, a very important part of the network of Roman control in the North West, I have also heard it is the most Westerly fort in the Roman Empire.

A rebuild in stone happening possibly slightly later than Kanovium at around A.D140, while the fort wall shown on the next image may not have been constructed until the 3rd century.  Segontium has an important stone inscription slab, recording that the 1st cohort of Sunici, also attested at Holt on Dee, reconstructing the fort aqueduct, under the Severans (Geta’s name erased).  And a much later instance of the ‘Segontienses’, this cohort are attested in the Balkans during the late 4th century, translated as ‘The men of Segontium’ which would be nice, but in my opinion, doubtful.  Finally the fort was decommissioned, later featuring in Welsh legend in connection with Maxen Wledig, Magnus Maximus (and also Constantine) the fort would, like Kanovium have seen sporadic use in the following centuries, before being a quarry for Edward 1st’s castle, down the knoll on the foreshore of the Menia Strait.  It survived such robbing, and a hammered penny of late Saxon date was probably dropped by one of the stone robbers and found during R.E. Mortimer Wheeler’s 1920’s excavation.  The site became allotments by the early 20th century, and a housing development plan resulted in  Wheeler being called in to excavate, as with Caerhun and it’s graveyard extension this never happened finally, the local council realizing the importance of the site purchasing it for the town.  A rather sad twist to this story concerns the allotments, being used by local people for many years, it was not without a fight they gave them up, and the season prior to the dig saw them digging and planting to a degree unseen before, they may have had a bumper crop, but the top Roman levels suffered badly as a result.

Today the site is regarded as in the top six Roman forts (outside the Hadrian’s Wall, of course) in Britain, no trace of the vicus, or Mithraeum remain, though a plaque on a house indicates the position.  Recent interesting information is of the find of a stone inscription, of a horned deity, please follow link of 3rd century date.  Visitors should include Segontium in a day tour of the Roman sites in this area, the museum holds some typical and attractive Roman finds, which in this author’s opinion are of a higher quality than artifacts recovered at Kanovium, which obviously is indicative of a longer occupation.  During the 4th century the garrison is believed to be a high status one, the solid gold ‘crossbow’ brooch being the property of a high status officer, while finds of lead weighted iron spears ‘barbuli’ these also represent a quality unit, and have only been attested at one other Welsh site, the Roman town of Caerwent, possible evidence of fortification of towns during Roman collapse?

The Severan Aqueduct Inscription from Segontium R.I.B 430.

© Kanovium Project

[IMP(eratores) CAES(ares)  L(ucius)  SEPT(imius)  SEVERUS  PIVS PERT[TINAX ET M(arcus)  A]VREL(ius)  ANTONINVS  [PIVS AVG(usti]  ET [P(ublius) SEP]T(imius) [GETA NO]B(ilissimus) C[AES(ar) RIVOS AQ]VAEDVCTIVM VETVS[TATE CONLA]BS(os) COH(orti) 1 SVNIC(orum) RESIT(uerunt [.......ARE.......NL...]
 

‘The Emperors, Caesars, Lucius Septimius Severus Pius Pertinax and Marcus Aurelius Antonius Pius, Augusti, and Publius Septimius Geta, most noble Caesar, restored the channels of the aqueduct, collapsed by reason of age, for the First Cohort of Sunici...

North Wales certainly is not rich in epigraphical records from the period of the Roman occupation, this spans the period, A.D. 48-75-80, from the early conquests (or forays) of Ostorius Scapula, and Gnaeus Julius Agricola, on to the probable final withdrawl around A.D. 395, at least on coin evidence from the Caernavon fort.  Epigraphy, or the carving of stones, featuring both text and images are an important source of information, some Roman forts (and indeed towns or civitates) have provided us with none, we are at least lucky in this part of the world that two survive (I am not discussing milestones here) the above, and another one from the nearby Bala records a garrison at Caer Gai auxiliary fort, this records the First Cohort of Nervii, while supposedly from Belgium, their capital is now in France and is the modern town of Bavay.  This is an extremely rare instance as it dates to the late 1st century, a time when auxiliary regiments were not normally expected to practice epigraphy.  The image above (photographed on Friday 14th of February 2003) dates to the early 3rd century and records the then (probably newly arrived) garrison of the Segontium fort, the 1st Cohort of the Sunici.  We have no other garrison names from North Wales, mid Wales has given us the Cornovii (or Celtiberians) at Caersws auxiliary fort.  Chester is richer, it lists the Legio 11 Adiutrix (11 tombstones), Legio XX Valeria Victrix (numerous inscriptions, but none after the usurpation of Carausius) and a couple of cohorts of Sarmatii.  The Sarmations, a barbarian horse people from the Russian Steppes, had been subdued by the armies of Marcus Aurelius and brought to Chester in A.D 175, and their style of warfare remained a feature of the late Roman army ever after.  The nearby early forts at Wroxeter have provided us with names of several regiments, the First Cohort of Thracians, Legio XIIII Gemina, and possibly Legio XX, though this may only be an individual soldier.  Flaminius, a soldier of the XIIII, rather sadly, records on his tombstone, ‘I lived for 45 years, served in the Roman army for 22 of these years, was a soldier and now I am here’ (!)  Many more tomb stones must have been found in North Wales, and many more must remain to be found, but for now we have to make do with the Nervii, Cornovii, and Sunici, incidentally the Sunici’s name also comes down to us on a tile graffiti from nearby Holt-on-Dee.  The Holt site is a legionary stores depot, and the graffiti which refers to ‘cohors 1 Sunicorum’ is interesting evidence that auxiliary regiments also provided labour at these works, which were mostly concerned with tiles and bricks, with some pottery, even fine wares, in a rare green leaded glaze.
The above inscription indicates repairs to the fort took place during the early third century, and dates to 198-209, it was found re-used in a later Roman context.  It tells us that the Emperors Severus, and his son Antoninus (better known by his nickname Caracalla) and the the Caesar Septimius Publius Geta, whose name was later erased after his murder by his elder brother Antoninus, repaired the channels of the aqueduct of the fort which had become dilapidated due to age for the 1st. cohort of Sunici.  Is it normal for features of a Roman fort to become dilapidated? well actually yes.  Caerhun’s Kanovium fort also seems to show evidence of a late 2nd century run down (column bases flung into a well), while Segontium has a busy Antonine occupation (Caerhun has very little) it seems rather strange that features of the fort became rundown?  We have coins of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Aurelius, and finally Commodus, which takes occupation through the A.D. 180’s, would the aqueduct have become blocked by A.D 198? certainly after 20 years of disuse, the aqueduct would have become a right mess,  subterranean channels were used, soil infil, weather, damage by humans or animals would have ruined it.  Or does it record a sacking of the fort? Dr Grace Simpson considered it did, in common with another Severan inscription from Caerleon (Legio 11 Augusta) RIB 333.  RIB 333 was found in Caerleon churchyard (the area of the headquarters building (principia) and similarly records ‘this building restored by damage of age’ ‘VETVSTATE C]ORRVPTVM [....RESTITVERVNT PER................]  So it is quite plain to see the Welsh forts had been run down, while Simpson tends to go with a theory of destruction during A.D. 197, it could simply just tell us Wales was now quiet, the Roman army was in crisis at this time anyway with revolts throughout the Empire.  The governor of Britannia, Clodius Albinus, along with Pescennius Niger, an Eastern governor attempted to seize the purple after the murder of Commodus, therefore this country was stripped of its garrison to fight for Albinus.  If the entire garrison crossed the English channel, and it is just possible it did, as the armies of Severus, Albinus and Niger were undoubtedly huge, all these forts would have been systematically levelled, we have no proof for a rebellion once Rome withdrew, either way Segontium (also maybe Kanovium) received some form of reconstruction once the Severans crushed Albinus and Niger.  Also the Roman was an arrogant beast and it would never proclaim a fort trashed by enemy action, usually blaming weather or age, and we even have instances of this at Hadrians Wall in the 4th century, early on the commander’s house at Birdoswald fort (Banna) is reconstructed due to it ‘becoming ruined and covered in earth’ and dates to A.D 297-305.  This is undoubtedly due to the fact it occupied the lowest part of the fort spur, itself a marsh prior to the coming of the Romans, a withdrawl of the garrison would have resulted in Banna’s drains becoming blocked, this would have flooded the forts interior and the praetorium in particular.  On the strength of this therefore it is unlikely Segontium (or Kanovium or Banna) had been sacked, we are simply seeing an orderly withdrawl and the effects of time (soil and leaves and water) on these auxiliary forts.
I have managed to glean further information on this inscription, from the book ‘Prehistoric and Early Wales. I.L. I. Foster and Glyn Daniel, ed London 1965, in the form of an essay by the late I. A. Richmond -Roman Wales and I quote
‘A Severan rebuilding, with elaborate headquarters and a water supply brought in an underground conduit, opened a third century occupation.  The inscription commemorating the water supply comprises two fragments rightly reported originally as contiguous, with the third line containing Geta’s name erased.  The genitive aquaeductuim demands a previous noun such as rivos and the length of line is given by the final -tate of vetustate combined with conlabs, in lines 4 and 5, and by -tinax et at the beginning of line 2.  For more than one contributing branch in an underground cf. that of Lanchester, Co. Durham.
What can be said of the Sunici?  M.G. Jarrett in Roman Frontier in Wales records the following and I quote
‘Cohors 1 Sunicorum.  This cohort was recruited originally from the Sunici of Lower Germany, whose territory lay west of the Rhine, in the area between Cologne and Aachen.  It is attested on the British diplomas for 122 and 124, on a graffito from Holt-probably of second- century date, in view of the history of the site-and on a Severan building inscription from Caernarvon.  Nothing further is known of it.’
What of the Severans and why did the stone eventually get re-used?
The dynasty of Syrian origin gained power, narrowly in a final series of battles against Niger and Albinus, and comprised of the father Septimius Severus and his two dissolute, vain, and insecure sons (this is a familiar and rather boring theme of the later Roman empire, and is possibly a major factor in the much discussed eventual sad fall) Caracalla and Geta.  Chiefly famed for their campaigns against the Caledonii and Maetae of modern day Scotland, Severus eventually dies (possibly of the plague or cancer, while his wife Julia Domna who outlived him died probably of breast cancer) at York (Eboracum) on 4th February A.D 311. aged sixty-five.  At this Caracalla jealous of his younger brother, aims for total power and murders him.  We can possibly feel sorry for poor Geta, though by the standards of the time he was as corrupt as his elder brother.  Caracalla is eventually murdered  on 8th March, A.D. 217.  This was during a pilgrimage to the shrine at Edessa, on the return he was murdered by Martialis, a failed legionary, who did the deed (with a dagger, while Caracalla excreted behind a rock) as a commision.  He is succeeded by the even worse Bassianus, also known as Elagabalus, and was placed on the imperial throne by the Praetorian Guard, the emperor’s private army.  It would seem Bassianus was the double of Caracalla, and this endeared him to the Praetorian Guard, who still appeared to retain some love for the dead man. He is chiefly remembered as somewhat of a maverick who took control of a cult of the sun god at Emessa.  His story is a bizarre one, the main feature of this sun worship was a meteorite, which once fell to earth became the focus of the cult., it was dense black conical stone.  The sun god’s name was Elagabalus, which has affinities with the Greek ‘Helios’ aiming for total commitment Bassianus changes his name to this.  He then decided the stone should be transported to Rome.  The stone was rather dense and heavy and we have the laughable picture of his army man-handling it over deserts, mountains, and plains, eventually tiring of this they drop the stone, refusing to transport it any further, Elagabalus is forced to flee..  Eitherway, his appearance, which featured the effeminate robes of eastern depots can not have endeared him to his Roman troops.  He eventually returns to Rome, but the Praetorians have changed allegiance to Alexander Severus, who was only a youth.  The Praetorians eventually massacred Elagabalus on the 10th March 222 A.D.  His barely recognisable body was dragged through the streets of Rome, and following the barbarous custom of the day, his corpse was hurled into the River Tiber.  His memory was damned, ‘damnatio memoriae’ all reference to the person treated to this distinction would be removed from statuary and inscriptions (that is why Geta’s name is erased from this stone).  Followed by Alexander, only a youth, the empire is ruled by his mother Julia Mamae, order was held until 235 until a centurian called Maximinus Thrax (the Thracian, actually the first non commissioned soldier to become emperor) murdered Alexander, Mamae and her sisters, outside an army camp while on campaign, this brought the Severan dynasty to an abrubt end.
The period of Severus Alexander was a time of rebuilding of many British forts, both in Wales and Hadrian’s Wall, the road system needed repair and many milestones date from this time, including one found at Gwaenysgor near Prestatyn in 1931, (R.I.B. number unknown).  Segontium received fairly widespread building work, and it is possible that the stone curtain wall was only added at this late date.  The sacellum of the principia received some water proofing work, shown by an unworn denarius (silver coin) of 228, silt deposits indicating to Wheeler during the 1920’s that the room had become a pond.  R.F.W. tentatively claims the fort may have been evacuated around 293, what happened in the intervening years?  The period from Thrax to Diocletian, 235-290 was known as the period of the ‘50 tyrants’  basically the end for the Roman empire, any army officer who fancied being emperor took his chance.  We have Gallic or even British claims to the throne, Postumus, and Carausius and Allectus, and also the weak Gordians, who were at least not usurpers, but gained widespread hatred in Italy for moving their weak court from Rome to Carthage.  It would seem during this period many provinces were allowed to control their own affairs, while the depleted legions of Rome fought it out, many claimants only lasted a couple of months, or even weeks, so it is no surprise garrisons utilized building materials such as the above dedication.  It should not be forgotten however, that the period did produce some rulers with integrity, good men such as Claudius Gothicus, and Aurelian, may have managed to turn the tide for the Roman Empire, if fate hadn’t intervened in the form of death by plague for Claudius, and death prematurely in battele for Aurelian.
Finally it should be noted the using of previous garrisons tomb stones or dedications was not a new phenomenon, as the statue base mentioned above from Caer Gai, Bala, set up presumably around A.D 80 by the Nervi under the control of Legio 11 Audiutrix, was thrown down by a new cohort under the control of Legio XX, presumably around A.D 86 (or possibly early in Hadrian’s period) and used to cover a cremation burial, seems these auxiliary troops (no need to think legionaries were any different) had no respect for the men they followed, I guess a job was a job and that was it in a nut shell.
The sources for this essay are in the main RFW, I.A Richmond, and Guy de La Bedoyere, Companion to Roman Britain, Tempus 2000.  It must be stressed it has simply been this authors task to present these facts, the work obviously lay with the above sources, but this is certainly the first time an image of RIB 430 has appeared on the internet.

The Backhall of Segontium Principia

© Kanovium Project