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| (Wikimedia Commons PD) Stone found at Corstopitum |
Corstopitum is a name I’ve used in After Whorl: Donning Double
Cloaks though there are variants to be found in different reference
material. It eventually became the most northerly town in the Roman Empire and
one of only two on Hadrian’s Wall, the other being at Luguvallium (Carlisle). Corstopitum is presently referred to as
Corbridge Roman Site for tourist purposes, though the site is also named as Corie Lopocarium and other suggested forms
which are thought to better express the function and the topography of the
area. Vindolanda tablets of post Agricolan times (perhaps AD 100) refer to it by
the simpler name of Coria, thought to be the local name for a tribal centre.
The site was chosen as a good crossing spot for fording the
River Tyne, the Roman Road named Dere Street coming to it from Eboracum to the
south and leading to the north into what was Votadini territory during
Agricolan times. It also became the junction with the road which ran from west
to east, the road named The Old Stanegate in later times.
In my imaginary vision of AD 78, I see the roads and sites
having already been laid down by either Agricola, or more likely earmarked in
their most rudimentary forms by his predecessors - Governors Cerialis and
Frontinus.
The tourist will find considerable stone foundations at
Corstopitum for what was a garrison supply station in later Roman Britain, a
settlement which had a substantial vicus (town) built around it. The visitor today
can see the remains of a fountain house, temples, markets, workshops and
granaries.
I refer to none of those things in Book 3 of my Celtic
Fervour Series since they appeared at the Corstopitum site many decades later
than I was writing about. What I have written about is that I imagine, and I am
writing fiction, that the site was used by the forces of Agricola as a supplies
depot.
As far as the historic records tell us (Tacitus) Agricola sent troops more or less simultaneously up the
west and east sides of Brigantia during his Northern Campaigns to claim the
most northerly territories of Britannia for the Emperor Vespasian and Rome.
I envisaged, as I wrote Book 3, that Agricola gave orders
for the site to be used (or perhaps even reused if first ramparts were
constructed by Cerialis or Frontinus) as a marching camp, which was then swiftly
succeeded by the building of a wooden supplies depot of a different layout and
construction to a regular fort. In After Whorl: Donning Double Cloaks
my Roman tribune - Gaius Livanus Valerius - becomes responsible, for a time,
for the maintenance of supplies for the forward troops of Agricola during his
Northern Campaigns. Gaius’ particular forte is ensuring metal stocks are
flowing properly to the necessary places for troop use; metals being needed for
nail making, armour, general utensils and tools.
During my researching for Books 2 & 3, I became quite
enamoured about the many types of nails and rivets which would have been
produced for army needs. There were differing sizes for building purposes- for
fort wall construction and for exterior and interiors of buildings within the
walls. Where did all of these supplies come from was a constant question in my
head? There were no D.I.Y stores just down the road to collect what was needed
for new fort walls, although there was Rome itself which was a provider
throughout the Empire, even if the goods were actually manufactured elsewhere.
Supplying the whole of Britannia, the westernmost territory
of the Roman Empire, with manufactured metal
items must have been a major headache- even for the super efficient Roman war
machine. The need for the vessels of the Classis to ply the Oceanus Germanicus, what we know of as
the North Sea, would have accounted for many
of the initial needs after the Claudian invasions around AD 43, but in
Agricolan times?
One of the great reasons for subduing the natives and
claiming Britannia for Rome
was to plunder the island’s natural resources which included iron, lead, coal-
all of which were available for exploitation near Corstopitum.
I really liked the idea of my tribune being in charge of
ensuring the supplies were moved smoothly from the south and west to the troops
who were infiltrating the north, present day Scotland. Gaius also has some input
in ensuring lead mining in northern Brigantia becomes controlled by Rome and not the Local
tribes of Brigantia.
Here's a little scene from After Whorl: Donning Double Cloaks where Gaius describes his role at Corstopitum.
“Ineda, my commander Agricola is an ambitious man. He intends to put
the Roman mark on the whole of Britannia, and I will be assisting in his
domination of the tribes not yet under Roman rule.”
Ineda clutched at his
arm, her concern for Gaius impinging on her horror about the further expansion
of the Roman Empire. “Will you march with
Agricola, then?”
Soft dark eyes
caressed her. “I may, but I think it unlikely. My task is to ensure that areas
Agricola has subdued remain subdued. As before, his advance forces will
infiltrate and control the natives. A new fort, or fortlet, will be built at
regular intervals to monitor that control. And of course he will organise new
guard towers along the routes. My task will be to ensure that supplies for the
new wooden structures arrive efficiently and that the forts are constructed
quickly to over-winter the troops that will be needed to police the areas.
Prompt and continued deliveries will be needed from Corstopitum for that to
happen. Agricola demands many structures in a very short time.”
Ineda now saw the
import of the store fort at Corstopitum. “Do you mean that Corstopitum will
have many goods stored there, but will have minimal personnel guarding it?”
Gaius’ hearty laugh
rang out, startling the people close by. “Some of the goods temporarily stored
there will be auxiliary soldiers, so I believe that answer is no.”
Ineda was puzzled and
also knew Gaius teased her. It was endearing but she hated being teased when
she was probing for answers.
“Many troops will be
needed to fulfil Agricola’s plans, Ineda. Vexillations of troops will have to
be moved from the garrison forts of all four legions that are in Britannia, to
build new forts but also to advance northwards. Agricola plans well to ensure
his campaign into the lands of the Caledons will be a successful one. Many of
those troops will arrive to the north by sea, but they will be temporarily
housed at the supplies base at Corstopitum before being dispatched to the
forward line.”
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