Anchorat
Morwenna's acolyte
Angus
Votadini bodyguard
Appius Sabinus
Quartermaster
aureus (plural aurei)
A gold coin worth 25 denarii
bairns
children
breeks
Brigante trousers
Brynna
daughter of Morwenna
Burdach
King of the Dumnonii
Capreae
Capri
capsarius
medical orderly
Caronwyn
daughter of Morwenna
Coriosopitum
Corbridge
Danum
Doncaster
Derventio
Malton
Deva
Chester
Din Eidyn
Edinburgh
dominus
The master of a house
Drusus Graccus
Decurion
Dumnonii
A tribe from the west lowlands of Scotland
Dunum Fluvius
River Tees
Eboracum
York
Eilwen
daughter of Morwenna
First Spear
The senior centurion
Gaius Metellus Aurelius
Ex- Decurion Marcus' Horse
Gaius Saturninus
Regular Roman Decurion
Glanibanta
Ambleside
Gnaeus Turpius
Camp Prefect Corio
groma
surveying equipment
Gwynfor
One of Morwenna's chiefs
Idwal
One of Morwenna's chiefs
Julius Demetrius
Senator
Julius Longinus
ala clerk
limes
Roman frontier defences
Livius Lucullus Sallustius
Sallustius' nephew
Luguvalium
Carlisle
Lupanar
The red light district
Maban
Morwenna's acolyte
Macro
Son of Macro
Mamucium
Manchester
Manavia
Isle of Man
Marcus Appius Bradua
Governor of Britannia
Marcus Aurelius Maximunius
Former ala commander
Marius Arvina
Camp Prefect Morbium.
Mediobogdum
Hardknott Fort
Mona
Anglesey
Morbium
Piercebridge
Morwenna
Fainch's daughter
Neapolis
oppidum
hill fort
Parcae
Roman Fates
phalerae
Roman award for bravery
Porta Decumana
The rear gate of a fort or camp
Scipius Porcius
Prefect at Eboracum
Seteia Fluvius
River Mersey
Surrentum
Sorrento
Taus
River Solway
Tava
River Tay
Tinea
River Tyne
Tole
Son of the King of the Selgovae
Trajan
Emperor of Rome
Traprain Law
Capital of the Votadini
uncia
Roman inch
Vedra
River Wear
vicus (plural-vici)
the settlement outside a fort
Vindomora
Ebchester, County Durham
Vinovia
Binchester, County Durham
Viroconium
Wroxeter
Historical note
Lucius Quietus was a real senator who was arrested and executed along with four other senators after Hadrian became Emperor. It was on the orders of his guardian Attianus who was ruling Rome in Hadrian’s absence. The real reason may have been that they opposed Hadrian and questioned the legitimacy of his rule but I have created the fiction that he was plotting to become Emperor himself. Hadrian became Emperor in 117 and then went to Britannia in 122. As work had begun on the wall already I have used the device of Livius as his agent to do so.
Trajan did die in Selinus, later called Trajanopolis, of edema (dropsy). His wife confirmed that Hadrian was to be his successor but some of Hadrian’s opponents said that this was after Trajan’s death and was not sanctioned by him. It was also said that Hadrian had left Selinus already. The Empress may have done as Hadrian’s enemies said but I cannot believe that the Emperor would have kept Hadrian so close if he did not wish him to continue his work in making the Empire safe. Hadrian’s first acts as Emperor were to pull Rome out of Mesopotamia and make Armenia a Roman client state of Parthia.
The limes were the defences erected by Trajan and Hadrian along the border with Germania. They were made of wood and turf. Hadrian’s Wall was a more substantial stone structure which was intended to mark the beginning of the Roman Empire rather than its extremity. It was originally covered in plaster and painted white. It would have stood out quite clearly in the green open spaces of northern Britannia and been a symbol of Rome’s power rather than a sign of its weakness.
There was a unit around the wall at the time the book is set. It was the 2nd Sabinian Wing of Pannonians named after one of their officers, Sabinus. I have merely substituted Livius Sallustius as the officer after whom the ala was named. Marcus Appius Bradua was appointed by Trajan but only spent a short time in Britannia. As soon as Hadrian returned from the east he was recalled and replaced. History does not give us a reason.
The punishments inflicted were as stated. It does beg the question what did they do if they didn’t have snakes? Perhaps they were more common in the past. The bastinado also seems a fairly brutal punishment but as the men’s lives had been put at risk, perhaps not too extreme.
Above all this is a work of fiction. The only writing we have is from the Roman side either Tacitus who, as Agricola’s son in law, was a little biased or Aelius Spartianus the biographer of Hadrian writing two hundred years after the events in the book. Even the evidence for the Romans in Britain is sketchy, a few inscriptions on walls and tombs. The truth is, apart from the legions we are not certain who did what and when- as a writer this suits me! If I have offended anyone I am sorry for the offence but not the story.
Griff Hosker July 2012
Other books by Griff Hosker
If you enjoyed this book then why not read another one in the series?
Book 1 The Sword of Cartimandua
Book 2 The Horse Warriors
Book 3 Invasion Caledonia
Book 4 Roman Retreat
Book 5 Revolt of the Red Witch
Book 6 Druid’s Gold
Book 7 Trajan’s Hunters
The first five are available in paperback and all are available in the Kindle format
Also available in paperback and Kindle is the book aimed at 12-15 years olds, Great Granny’s Ghost
Carnage at Cannes is a modern thriller and is available in the Kindle format.
For more information then please go to the author’s web site at http://www.griffhosker.com
Table of Contents
Dedication
Copyright
Part One- Troubled Times
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Part Two- the poisoned tongue
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Part three- In dangerous waters
Chapter
14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
List of characters and places in the novel
Historical note
Other books by Griff Hosker