Quintus Lollius Urbicus

Quintus Lollius Urbicus was made governor of Roman Britain in 138, by one of the early decrees of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius.

Early life

Lollius Urbicus was the son of a Libyan landowner [Charles Freeman. "Egypt, Greece, and Rome" p508. Oxford University Press ,1999. ISBN 0198721943] and a native of Tiddis in Numidia (modern Algeria). He quickly rose to prominence, serving during the Jewish Rebellion of 132-135, and then governing Germania Inferior.

Governor of Britain

Emperor Antoninus Pius soon reversed the containment policy of his predecessor, Hadrian, and Lollius was to ordered to begin the reconquest of Lowland Scotland by moving north of Hadrian's Wall. Between 139 and 140 he rebuilt the fort at Corbridge and by 142 or 143, commemorative coins were issued celebrating a victory in Britain. It is therefore likely that Lollius led the reoccupation of southern Scotland c. 141, probably using Legio II "Augusta". In 143 Lollius probably also oversaw the initial construction of the Antonine Wall and refurbished many forts including those at Newstead, Risingham and High Rochester.

He evidently campaigned against several British tribes (possibly including factions of the northern Brigantes), certainly against the lowland tribes of Scotland; the Votadini and the Selgovae of the Scottish Borders region, also the Damnonii of Strathclyde and the Novantae of Dumfries and Galloway. It seems likely that he personally campaigned with the Second Legion Augusta as this unit is mentioned on four (out of five) inscriptions recording building work undertaken during his governorship. This legionary core was, no doubt, backed up by a substantial contingent of auxiliary units, of which we have record of at least one part-mounted regiment (vide RIB 1276 infra). Contingents from at least one other British legion are known to have assisted in the construction of the new turf barrier, as evidenced by an inscription from the fort at Old Kilpatrick (RIB 2205), the Antonine Wall's western terminus.

It seems likely that Urbicus planned his campaign of attack from Corbridge in Northumberland, just to the rear of Hadrians Wall, as dedicatory inscriptions positively dated to the early 140's have been uncovered at the Antonine storage-depot there. From here he drove north-north-west into the Scottish Borders along the Agricolan military road Dere Street, leaving garrison forts at High Rochester in Northumberland and possibly also at Newstead in Borders, as he struck towards the Firth of Forth. Both of these sites, likewise similar such military installations at Risingham, Chew Green, Cappuck and Elginhaugh were very likely used as bases from which to launch strikes against the lowland tribes, the Votadini to the east and the Selgovae to the west.

Having secured an overland supply route for military personnel and equipment along Dere Street, Urbicus very likely set up a supply port at Carriden for the supply of grain and other foodstuffs before proceeding against the Dumnonii tribe who inhabited South Strathclyde. This done, came the task of completing a new barrier of turf and timber stretching for thirty-five miles from east to west across the narrow neck of land separating the mighty Rivers Forth and Clyde, nowadays known as the Antonine Wall.

It was possibly after the defences were finished that Urbicus turned his attention upon the last lowland Scottish tribe, the Novantae who inhabited the Dumfries and Galloway peninsula. These four lowland tribes, sandwiched as they were between Hadrian's Wall of stone to the south and the new turf wall of Antoninus to the north, later formed a confederation against Roman oppression collectively known as the Maeatae.

Citing an inscription detailing the career of Quintus Lollius Urbicus, Colin Wells, offers an eloquent account of what today might be dubbed the "multicultural ism" and equal opportunity of life in the Roman empire. He concludes that: "At no other period of history could the second or third son of a Berber landowner from a very small town in the interior enjoy a career which took him to Asia, Judaea, the Danube . . . the lower Rhine and Great Britain, culminating in a position of great power and honor in the capital of the empire to which all these regions belonged." [Collin Wells. "The Roman empire" p226. Harvard University Press, 1995. ISBN 0674777700 ]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.roman-britain.org/people/urbicus.htm Lollius Urbicus]

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