04-06-2010, 01:33 PM
Quote:After this battle, I recall Agricola was recalled to Rome before he could continue with the campaign. Is that correct?Tacitus is pretty clear that the campaign was over. Britain had been conquered.
Quote:If so, how long a period after the battle was it before his recall, and what did he do after his recall?The battle seems to have been September, which was right at the end of the campaigning season. As far as we can see, a governor would normally have laid down his command early in the new year, so that his successor could take over for the beginning of the next campaigning season, which seems to have been the spring equinox (March).
Quote:What was the exact reasoning used, just that he was past his due date, or was there a real worry that such victories would undermine the present emporer(who was who to be precise?) Some people think it was still VespasianAgricola had already served for seven years. All of our evidence points to three years as the usual term of office, so he was overdue for recall. (Some people think this is suspicious, and use this fact to cast doubt on the entire Agricola.) He died fairly young, which makes me wonder whether he was actually ill, and therefore unfit for further service.hock:
Domitian was emperor in AD 84 when Agricola returned to Rome. There's a huge literature debating the relationship between emperor and general. I didn't get into this whole area in the Osprey book. Of course, the conquest of Britain could only reflect well on the reigning emperor, but there's a theory that Domitian was paranoid (fuelled by Tacitus' innuendo). It is difficult to properly assess the reign of Domitian, because the ancient sources are so hostile (as they are to Caligula, Nero and Commodus).
