The emperour Seuerus receiuing aduertisment from the lieutenant of
Britaine, that the people there mooued rebellion, & wasted the
countrie with roads and forraies, so that it was néedful to haue the
prince himselfe to come thither with a great power to resist the
enimies, he of an ambitious mind reioised not a little for those
newes, bicause he saw occasion offered to aduance his renowme and fame
with increase of new victories now in the west, after so manie
triumphs purchased and got by him in the east and north parts of the
world. Héerevpon though he was of great age, yet the desire that he
had still to win honour, caused him to take in hand to make a iournie
into this land, and so being furnished of all things necessarie, he
set forwards, being carried for the more part in a litter for his more
ease: for that beside his féeblenesse of age, he was also troubled
[Sidenote: Antoninus and Geta.]
with the gout. He tooke with him his two sonnes, Antoninus Bassianus
and Geta, vpon purpose as was thought, to auoid occasions of such
inconuenience as he perceiued might grow by discord mooued betwixt
them through flatterers and malicious sycophants, which sought to set
them at variance: which to bring to passe, he perceiued there should
want no meane whilest they continued in Rome, amidst such pleasures &
idle pastimes as were dailie there frequented: and therefore he caused
them to attend him in this iournie into Britaine, that they might
learne to liue soberlie, and after the manner of men of warre.
[Sidenote: The emperor Seuerus arriueth in Britaine.]
Seuerus being thus on his iournie towards Britaine, staied not by the
waie, but with all diligence sped him foorth, and passing the sea
verie swiftlie, entred this Ile, and assembled a mightie power
togither, meaning to assaile his enimies, and to pursue the warre
against them to the vttermost. The Britains greatlie amazed with this
sudden arriuall of the emperour, and hearing that such preparation was
made against them, sent ambassadours to him to intreat of peace, and
to excuse their rebellious dooings. But Seuerus delaieng time for
answere, as he that was desirous to atchiue some high enterprise
against the Britains, for the which he might deserue the surname of
Britannicus, which he greatlie coueted, still was busie to prepare all
things necessarie for the warre; and namelie, caused a great number of
bridges to be made to lay ouer the bogs and mareshes, so that his
souldiers might haue place to stand vpon, and not to be incumbered for
lacke of firme ground when they should cope with their enimies: for
[Sidenote: _Herodianus._]
the more part of Britaine in those daies (as Herodianus writeth) was
full of fens & maresh ground, by reason of the often flowings and
[Sidenote: He meaneth of the north Britains or sauage Britains as we
may call them.]
washings of the sea tides: by the which maresh grounds the enimies
being thereto accustomed, would run and swim in the waters, and wade
vp to the middle at their pleasure, going for the more part naked, so
that they passed not on the mud and mires, for they knew not the vse
or wearing cloths, but ware hoopes of iron about their middles and
necks, esteeming the same as an ornament token of riches, as other
barbarous people did gold.
Moreouer they marked, or (as it were) painted their bodies in diuerse
sorts and with sundrie shapes and figures of beasts and fowles, and
therefore they vsed not to weare anie garments, that such painting of
their bodies might the more apparantlie be séene, which they estéemed
a great brauerie.
They were as the same Herodianus writeth, a people giuen much to war,
and delighted in slaughter and bloudshed, vsing none other weapons or
[Sidenote: The furniture of the sauage Britains.]
armour but a slender buckler, a iaueline, and a swoord tied to their
naked bodies: as for headpéece or habergeon, they estéemed not,
bicause they thought the same should be an hinderance to them when
they should passe ouer anie maresh, or be driuen to swim anie waters,
or flée to the bogs.
Moreouer, to suffer hunger, cold, and trauell, they were so vsed and
inured therewith, that they would not passe to lie in the bogs and
mires couered vp to the chin, without caring for meate for the space
of diuerse daies togither: and in the woods they would liue vpon roots
and barks of trées. Also they vsed to prepare for themselues a
certeine kind of meate, of the which if they receiued but so much as
amounted to the quantitie of a beane, they would thinke themselues
satisfied, and féele neither hunger nor thirst. The one halfe of the
Ile or little lesse was subiect vnto the Romans, the other was
gouerned of themselues, the people for the most part hauing the rule
in their hands.
Seuerus therefore meaning to subdue the whole, and vnderstanding their
nature, and the manner of their making warre, prouided him selfe of
all things expedient for the annoiance of them and helpe of his owne
souldiers, and appointing his sonne Geta to remaine in that part of
the Ile which was subiect to the Romans, he tooke with him his other
sonne Antoninus, and with his armie marched foorth, and entred into
the confines of the enimies, and there began to waste and forrey the
countrie, whereby there insued diuerse conflicts and skirmishes
betwixt the Romans and the inhabitants, the victorie still remaining
on the Romans side: but the enimies easilie escaped without anie great
losse vnto the woods, mountains, bogs, and such other places of refuge
as they knew to be at hand, whither the Romans durst not follow, nor
once approch, for feare to be intrapped and inclosed by the Britains
that were readie to returne and assaile their enimies vpon euerie
occasion of aduantage that might be offered.
This maner of dealing sore troubled the Romans, and so hindered them
in their procéedings, that no spéedie end could be made of that warre.
[Sidenote: _Dion Cassius._]
The Britains would oftentimes of purpose laie their cattell, as oxen,
kine, shéepe, and such like, in places conuenient, to be as a stale to
the Romans; and when the Romans should make to them to fetch the same
awaie, being distant from the residue of the armie a good space, they
would fall vpon them and distresse them. Beside this, the Romans were
much annoied with the vnwholesomnesse of the waters which they were
forced to drinke, and if they chanced to straie abroad, they were
snapped vp by ambushes which the Caledonians laid for them, and when
they were so féeble that they could not through want of strength kéepe
pace with their fellowes as they marched in order of battell, they
were slaine by their owne fellowes, least they should be left behind
for a prey to the enimies. Héereby there died in this iournie of the
Romane armie, at the point of fiftie thousand men: but yet would not
Seuerus returne, till he had gone through the whole Ile, and so came
to the vttermost parts of all the countrie now called Scotland, and at
last backe againe to the other part of the Ile subiect to the Romans,
the inhabitants whereof are named (by Dion Cassius) _Meatæ._ But first
he forced the other, whom the same Dion nameth Caledonij, to conclude
a league with him, vpon such conditons, as they were compelled to
depart with no small portion of the countrie, and to deliuer vnto him
their armour and weapons.
In the meane time, the emperour Seuerus being worne with age fell
sicke, so that he was constreined to abide at home within that part of
the Ile which obeied the Romans, and to appoint his sonne Antoninus to
take charge of the armie abroad. But Antoninus not regarding the
enimies, attempted little or nothing against them, but sought waies
how to win the fauour of the souldiers and men of warre, that after
his fathers death (for which he dailie looked) he might haue their aid
and assistance to be admitted emperour in his place. Now when he saw
that his father bare out his sicknesse longer time than he would haue
wished, he practised with physicians and other of his fathers seruants
to dispatch him by one meane or other.
Whilest Antoninus thus negligentlie looked to his charge, the Britains
began a new rebellion, not onlie those that were latelie ioined in
league with the emperour, but the other also which were subjects to
the Romane empire. Seuerus tooke such displeasure, that he called
togither the souldiers, and commanded them to inuade the countrie, and
to kill all such as they might méet within anie place without respect,
and that his cruell commandement he expressed in these verses taken
out of Homer:
[Sidenote: _Iliados._ 3.]
Nemo manus fugiat vestras, cædémque cruentam,
Non foetus grauida mater quern gessit in aluo
Horrendam effugiat cædem.
But while he was thus disquieted with the rebellion of the Britains,
and the disloiall practises of his sonne Antoninus, which to him were
not vnknowne, (for the wicked sonne had by diuers attempts discouered
his traitorous and vnnaturall meanings) at length, rather through
[Sidenote: Heriodianus.]
[Sidenote: Dion Cassius.]
[Sidenote: Eutropius.]
[Sidenote: Dion Cassius.]
sorrow and griefe, than by force of sicknesse, he wasted awaie, and
departed this life at Yorke, the third daie before the nones of
Februarie, after he had gouerned the empire by the space of 17 yeares,
8 moneths, & 33 daies. He liued 65 yeres, 9 moneths, & 13 daies: he
was borne the third ides of April. By that which before is recited out
of Herodian and Dion Cassius, of the maners & vsages of those people,
against whome Seuerus held warre here in Britaine, it maie be
coniectured, that they were the Picts, the which possessed in those
daies a great part of Scotland, and with continuall incursions and
rodes wasted and destroyed the borders of those countries which were
[Sidenote: Eutropius.]
[Sidenote: Orosius.]
subiect to the Romans. To kéepe them backe therefore and to represse
their inuasions, Seuerus (as some write) either restored the former
[Sidenote: _Dion Cassius._]
wall made by Adrian, or else newlie built an other ouerthwart the Ile,
from the east sea to the west, conteining in length 232 miles. This
[Sidenote: _Beda._]
wall was not made of stone, but of turfe and earth supported with
stakes and piles of wood, and defended on the backe with a déepe
[Sidenote: _Hector Boetius._]
trench or ditch, and also fortified with diuerse towers and turrets
built & erected vpon the same wall or rampire so néere togither, that
the sound of trumpets being placed in the same, might be heard
betwixt, and so warning giuen from one to another vpon the first
descrieng of the enimies.
[Sidenote: _Polydorus._]
[Sidenote: _Herodianus._]
[Sidenote: 211.]
Seuerus being departed out of this life in the yere of our Lord 211,
his son Antoninus otherwise called also Bassianus, would faine haue
vsurped the whole gouernment into his owne hands, attempting with
bribes and large promises to corrupt the minds of the souldiers: but
when he perceiued that his purpose would not forward as he wished in
that behalfe, he concluded a league with the enimies, and making peace
with them, returned backe towards Yorke, and came to his mother and
brother Geta, with whome he tooke order for the buriall of his father.
And first his bodie being burnt (as the maner was) the ashes were put
into a vessell of gold, and so conueied to Rome by the two brethren
and the empresse Iulia, who was mother to Geta the yonger brother, and
mother in law to the elder, Antoninus Bassianus, & by all meanes
possible sought to maintaine loue and concord betwixt the brethren,
which now at the first tooke vpon them to rule the empire equallie
togither. But the ambition of Bassianus was such, that finallie vpon
desire to haue the whole rule himselfe, he found meanes to dispatch
his brother Geta, breaking one daie into his chamber, and slaieng him
euen in his mothers lap, and so possessed the gouernment alone, till
at length he was slaine at Edessa a citie in Mesopotamia by one of his
owne souldiers, as he was about to vntrusse his points to doo the
office of nature, after he had reigned the space of 6 yeares, as is
[Sidenote: _Sextus Aurelius._]
aforesaid. Where we are to note Gods judgment, prouiding that he which
had shed mans bloud, should also die by the sword.
* * * * *
_Of Carausius an obscure Britaine, what countries he gaue the Picts,
and wherevpon, his death by Alectus his successor, the Romans foiled
by Asclepiodotus duke of Cornewall, whereof Walbrooke had the name,
the couetous practise of Carausius the usurper._