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The Dating Value of Samian Ware: A Rejoinder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 September 2012

Extract

The paper by Messrs. Davies Pryce and Birley on ‘The First Roman Occupation of Scotland’ is so obviously a friendly challenge addressed to myself that I cannot in courtesy allow it to pass un-noticed. My critics indeed were good enough to give me timely warning of their impending attack. Now that it has been delivered, my first impression is one of disappointment. I had expected them to deal with the various arguments that I have from time to time advanced, and I had hoped that their discussion of these would throw fresh light on what is at the best a very obscure episode. Instead, they have elected to concentrate on a single branch of the evidence, and that a branch in which the interpretation of the facts is beset with so many uncertainties as to make it peculiarly ill-fitted to serve as our sole guide. Being on the defensive, I have no alternative but to conform to the prescribed initiative. Hence the title I have chosen. For the rest, I can only ask those interested to read (or re-read) what I have written on the subject elsewhere. In particular, they might find ‘The Agricolan Occupation of Scotland’ a helpful tonic.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright ©George Macdonald 1935. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

1 Supra, pp. 59 ff.; the abbreviations there given in footnote 1 are also used here. Cf. AA 4 viii, 187 f., xi, 149 ff., Ant. J. xv, 84.

2 JRS ix (1919), 111 ffGoogle Scholar. Cf. also Curie, Roman Frontier Post, 385 ff., and PSAS lii (19171918), 254 ff.Google Scholar, lxv (1930–31), 432 ff., lxviii (1933–34), 37 f.

3 Op. cit., p. 43.

4 Supra, p. 60.

5 Roman Wall in Scotland, 2 p. 2.

6 JRS iv, 1914, 26 ffGoogle Scholar.

7 Neujabrsblätter der badischen bistrischen Kommission NF viii (1905)Google Scholar.

8 Op. cit., p. 197 (9) f.

9 In 1904 Fröhlich had given 99 as the terminal date for the coins (Anz. für schweizerische Altertumsk., 1906, p. 16).

10 Die Legionen der Provinz Moesia (1906), p. 66. He was careful not to commit himself to a year: ‘Deshalb muss die leg. XI Claud, schon unter Traian nach Dorusturum gekommen sein. Eine genauere Zeitbestimmung lässt sich nicht geben. Es spricht jedoch einige Wahrscheinlichkeit dafür, dass die Legion schon gleich nach Beendigung des ersten Dakerkrieges nach Moesia Inferior gekommen ist.’

11 P-W, s.v. ‘Legio,’ col. 1697. He regarded the numismatic evidence as decisive—‘nach dem unwiderleglichen Ausweis der dort erhobenen Münzen.’ Previously he had contented himself with ‘bereits unter Traian’ (Rbein.Mus. viii (1903), p. 480Google Scholar, footnote 8), where he seems to have had A.D. 105–107 in view (ibid. pp. 478 ff.).

12 Bd. 10 of Römisch-Germanische Forschungen, 1935.

13 Op. cit., p. 101.

14 Bonner Jahrb. cxiii, 240.

15 AA 4 xi, 150.

16 Supra, p. 66.

17 Brecon, p. 72.

18 Supra, p. 66.

19 Supra, p. 67.

20 AA. xi4, 146 ff.

21 l.c., p. 155.

22 Supra, pp. 67 f.

23 Roman Frontier Post, pp. 203 ff. There were doubtless others which were too small to deserve description.

24 TAJ xxvi, 44 ff. A good many of these, however, were (like those excluded by Mr. Curle) too small to show anything distinctive. Still, the total of 145 leaves a very comfortable margin. I have chosen Slack because the statistics there were so complete. A glance at the Inventory will show that there were other castella in Northern England which may very well have been in much the same position.

25 CIL vii, 199.

26 AA 4 xi, 150.

27 Supra, p. 69. Cf. Ant. J. xv, 84.

28 Supra, p. 68.

29 The allusion can hardly be to the paper published by Mr. S. N. Miller in the Scottish Historical Review for 1921 (xviii, pp. 199 ff.). That paper must either have escaped notice or been forgotten. Otherwise there would certainly have been some endeavour to reply to the powerful arguments which Mr. Miller brings forward. He has anticipated me, for instance, in regard to Slack.

30 PSAS lxv (19301931), 432 ffGoogle Scholar. Cf. Roman Wall in Scotland, 2 p. 460.