A. Plautius' Campaign in Britain: An Alternative Reading of the Narrative in Cassius Dio (60.19.5–21.2)

Abstract

Three aspects of Cassius Dio's account of the Claudian invasion of Britain are discussed. First, the convention, by which ancient historians routinely introduced their detailed narrative of military campaigns with a summary, allows the two first battles in the sequence to be eliminated as separate events. Secondly, the kings, Togodumnus in Cassius Dio and Cogidumnus in Tacitus' Agricola, are taken to be the same individual, who after defeat was reconciled to be Claudius' client-ruler. Thirdly, the argument is restated that the invasion took place through the harbours of West Sussex on a route suggested by the description given by Dio and by the evidence of place-names, known from the Geography of Ptolemy and the Antonine Itinerary.

Claudius, Elephants and Britain: Making Sense of Cassius Dio 60.21.2

“…13.20; 14.2; 15.61. As Hind (2007, 94) points out, it does not seem that he used Tacitus’ Annales ; see also Hind 1989, 2. Black (2001, 426) thinks it most likely that Cluvius Rufus was one of Dio's main sources for the Roman operations in Britain.…”

“… 16 For a summary, see Hind 2007, 93, who observes that substantial ‘Roman military and political intervention’ was still required to achieve this objective; see also Creighton 2006, 14–69; Manley 2002, 42–50, 143–6; Manley and Rudkin 2005, 55–99, and especially 91–6. See also the remarks by Bird 2002, 261–2, who thinks that the ancient evidence tends to support the view that ‘the Romans [in a.d. 43] were actually struggling to fight most of the time’ (262).…”

RIBI, 2334*: An Alleged Inscription from Chichester Reconsidered

“… 5 The writer prefers the traditional spelling as hallowed by archaeological usage because it avoids any possible confusion with the brother of Caratacus, but accepts that it may be wrong. Russell (2006) conflates the two, as now does Hind (2007), but their reasons differ. See also RIB I, 91 + add.…”