Birdoswald’s Romans were actually Romanian
Last updated 05:31, Friday, 13 June 2008
Inscriptions on building stones and altars dedicated to the gods provide key evidence about how the Roman army organised itself.
In the case of Birdoswald Fort on Hadrian’s Wall, these name the ‘First Cohort of Dacians (inhabitants of modern Romania), Hadrian’s Own’ as manning the garrison.
Therefore, at least at the beginning, before they settled down and married locally and their children joined the army, Birdoswald was defended by Romanians.
Such soldiers were auxiliaries of the Roman army. Recruited from the provinces of the Empire, they only gained citizenship after completing 25 years’ service.
It was imperial policy to station them in parts of the Empire far from home, thus deterring well-trained soldiers from turning their skills and any nationalist tendencies against their imperial employers.
Legionary soldiers built the Wall itself. These were the citizen army of the Roman Empire and were used, among other duties, in the construction of major imperial projects – but not to garrison the frontier.
As well as stone inscriptions there is an important document, dating to the fifth century AD, known as the Notitia Dignitatum. This is very useful to archaeologists and historians as it records the locations of troops around the Roman Empire. The section titled per lineam Valli (along the line of the Wall) actually lists those on Hadrian’s Wall – though as it happens, in the case of Birdoswald the detail is somewhat confusing.
Tim Padley, the keeper of Archaeology at Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, will be giving a talk on the garrisons of Hadrian’s Wall on Tuesday, June 17, at 1pm. Admission is free.
