Caradoc

Roman Invasion
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The Battle
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The Battle

We have no idea at what time of the year thghte battle was fought, but it would be nice to think that it was a sunny day, and both sides were able to display their full military panoply; however for such a bloody occasion perhaps a typical dull and damp British morning would be more fitting.

The Roman camp would be astir well before dawn, at which time the heralds would ask the legionaries if they were ready for war, to which they would reply, "ready, ready, ready"; thereafter, with their wolf-skin head dressed standard bearers at the head of the columns the Roman army would begin to march out of camp. Having already ascertained that the river (Teme) was fordable, the Roman cavalry would be sent upstream and downstream of the crossing point to break the force of the water, upstream, and to catch those who were carried away by the current, downstream; meanwhile the auxiliary troops would be first to cross over and engage the enemy while also endeavouring to form a bridgehead which would allow for the deployment of the legions.

As I have said, it is possible that Caradoc disputed the crossing for a short time, but we may be sure that he would have formed his army to show a solid front rather than have left any isolated units to be surrounded and cut off by the Roman cavalry. On their side the Romans would have found their mounted troops of little value owing to the restricted nature of the battlefield, and the chance of any outflanking manoeuvre by these troops would have been negated because of the security of Caradoc's left and right flanks.

Spreading out from the bridgehead the legions would form into their customary battle formations while the auxiliaries continued to harass the British position with missile fire and faint attacks, gaining time while the legions formed-up. Tacitus tells us that the Romans (auxiliaries?) came off worse in this exchange of fire.²⁷ This would seem to confirm Caradoc's dispositions, as the Roman's would be attacking uphill into a hail of missile fire being poured down upon them from the Britons stationed on a higher gradient; this fire was hard to return with any effect owing to the Roman's being unable to use their throwing javelins while climbing the hill, and also the stone walls that had been built in front of the British line which deflected the arrows, ballista bolts and slingshots that were being returned.

The British army under Caradoc would seem to have been better disciplined than the Anglo Saxons under King Harold at the battle of Hastings in 1066, at least their leader kept a firm hand and did not allow them to break formation in order to attack the Roman's as they scaled the hill. Instead the Roman auxiliaries had to pull back and reform, while the main body of the legions grouped into their famous "Testudo" formation of locked shields.²⁸ There would probably have been several of these formations, consisting of anything from 50 to 100 men in each. Why the Romans had to use this type of grouping can only be speculated upon, as they normally only formed the Testudo when attacking a enemy encampment or against the walls of a besieged town. It is possible that Caradoc's roughly constructed stone walls were higher-up the hillside, therefore the Roman's had to seek protection under cover of their locked shields to avoid the constant hail of missiles that were being poured upon them; a fire which had already caused the auxiliaries to fall back. The legionaries may have been followed by the auxiliary troops, rather in the way that infantry followed close behind tanks in the Second World War. Ten or twelve of such groupings would move forward in a chequerboard formation so that if one or two were held back by a blocking force of extended spears or staves, others could come in at intervals along the line and exert the pressure still further. This tactic did the trick, and the Romans managed to pull down the stonewalls and come to grips with their opponents. Once the legionaries got to work with their thrusting swords the result was pure butchery. Using the shield to push into the body and face of their enemies the Roman infantry would cut-down all before them, being described by one historian as,' like the action of a buzz-saw'.²⁹ With little or no protection in the form of body armour, the Britons were forced back fighting off the Romans on three sides, for as the legionaries attacked their front; the auxiliaries now fanned out and came in on both flanks.³⁰

Tacitus tells us that Caradoc's wife and family were taken prisoner, and that his brother surrendered. They were in all probability captured in or around Caer Caradoc Hill Fort; however Caradoc himself made his escape and sought refuge with Queen Catimandua. Her loyalty to Rome appears to have been solid for she turned Caradoc over to them, thereby ending the military career of one of Britains first great warrior leaders.³¹

Caradoc and his family were taken to Rome where, in spite of all the problems he had caused, and the vast amount of time and money involved in the military operations against him, he was allowed to live out the rest of his life in comparative peace and quiet. The Romans were well aware of Caradoc's fighting qualities, and it must have bolstered their inflated egos to have this man walk among them free, while at the same time knowing he could no longer cause them any problems.

As for Ostorius Scapula, he became so exhausted by his responsibilities, that shortly after Caradoc was taken to Rome he died.³² Thus, without receiving his triumph, Scapula lay dead in Britain while Caradoc walked the streets of Rome.

27 Tacitus,'The Annals of Imperial Rome', XII.33

28 Tacitus,'The Annals of Imperial Rome', XII, 33

29 Dr Richard Gabriel, quoted in the B.B.C2 television program,'Timewatch, The Roman Way of War'.

30 Tacitus,'The Annals of Imperial Rome', XII.33

31 Tacitus,'The Annals of Imperial Rome, XII.33

32 Ibid. 37