Romans in Scotland

The Maeatae

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All mentions of the Maeatae come from the 3rd-century Roman senator and historian Cassius Dio’s Roman History (specifically Books 76 and 77)

He writes that by the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries AD, the various native British tribes north of “the wall that divides the island in half” had consolidated into two primary tribal confederations: the Maeatae and the Caledonii (Caledonians).

Geographical Territory and Placename Survival

  • Territorial Boundary: The Maeatae occupied the territory situated directly north of the frontier line—encompassing the northern Scottish Lowlands, the Antonine Wall isthmus, and Fife—while the Caledonii held the lands further north beyond the River Tay.
  • Toponymy: Modern scholars note that the tribal name Maeatae survives in local Scottish placenames near Stirling, specifically Dumyat (Dun Maeat) and Myot Hill.

Society, Lifestyle, and Tactics: Classical accounts describe the Maeatae and Caledonii as inhabiting wild mountains, marshlands, and desert plains, living without fortified towns or settled agriculture. According to Dio’s description:

  • They subsisted on pasturage, hunting, and wild berries, maintaining a social organisation described by classical observers as democratic.
  • In warfare, they deployed light chariots pulled by small, swift horses alongside infantry.
  • Their weapons consisted of a shield, a dagger, and a short spear featuring a brazen knob at the base of the shaft, which was shaken to create a loud rattling noise to intimidate enemies.
  • They were noted for extreme physical endurance in harsh environments, reportedly remaining submerged in marshes for days with only their heads above water.

Relations with Rome: Bribery, Conflict, and War (AD 197–211)

  • Subsidies and Bribery (AD 197): Following the withdrawal of Roman garrisons to the Continent by Clodius Albinus in AD 197, the northern frontier was severely destabilised. When the Caledonians prepared to assist the Maeatae, the provincial governor Virius Lupus was forced to buy peace by paying large sums of silver money (denarii) to the Maeatae in exchange for hostages and captives.
  • Renewed Hostilities: After receiving the funds and keeping the peace for two years, the Maeatae allied with the Caledonians and resumed aggressive raids into the Roman province, prompting Lupus to send an urgent plea to Emperor Septimius Severus for reinforcements.
  • The Severan Campaigns (AD 208–211):
    • When Emperor Septimius Severus and his son Caracalla launched their Scottish campaigns in AD 208, the Maeatae initially came to terms, allowing the Roman army passage through their territory.
    • Around AD 210, the Maeatae launched a major revolt against Roman authority. Caracalla was dispatched to lead a severe campaign against them.
    • The Caledonians subsequently joined the Maeatae in the uprising. Following the death of Severus at York in February AD 211, Caracalla concluded a peace treaty with the tribes and withdrew Roman forces back to Hadrian’s Wall.

Archaeological and Environmental Evidence

  • Silver Coin Hoards: The historical accounts of peace payments made to the Maeatae correlate with archaeological finds of late 2nd- and early 3rd-century Roman silver denarii hoards across Scotland, which represent diplomatic subsidies distributed to native elites to maintain frontier stability.
  • Environmental Impact: Pollen evidence indicating woodland regeneration in parts of eastern Scotland has sometimes been linked to the impact of Caracalla’s campaign against the Maeatae, though modern archaeologists view this as part of a broader, long-term restructuring of Iron Age agrarian society rather than a single military event.

Later Disappearance: By the late 3rd and 4th centuries AD, specific references to both the Maeatae and the Caledonii disappear from classical texts, as these tribal groups merged into the historical grouping known as the Picts.

References

All references to the Maeatae come from Cassius Dio’s Roman History:

  1. Cassius Dio, Roman History, Epitome of Book 76
    • Citation: Vol. IX, Epitome of Book 76, p. 217.
    • Coverage: Records that around 197–198 AD, when the Caledonians broke their promises and prepared to aid the Maeatae, the Roman governor Virius Lupus was forced to buy peace from the Maeatae for a large sum of money.
  2. Cassius Dio, Roman History, Epitome of Book 77, Chapter 12
    • Citation: Vol. IX, Epitome of Book 77.12, pp. 261–263.
    • Coverage: Identifies the Maeatae as living directly adjacent to the cross-wall that divided the island. It provides an ethnographic account of their democratic government, tent dwelling, abstinence from fish, war chariots, and weapons (including spears with rattling hollow bronze apples).
  3. Cassius Dio, Roman History, Epitome of Book 77, Chapters 13–15
    • Citation: Vol. IX, Epitome of Book 77.13–15, pp. 263–271.
    • Coverage: Documents Septimius Severus’s campaign (208–211 AD), including the heavy Roman casualties (50,000 dead), the surrender of territory by the Britons, the subsequent renewed revolt of the Maeatae joined by the Caledonians, Severus’s command to slaughter the rebels without mercy, and his death at York.

4. Other Primary Ancient Classical Sources

  • Herodian (History of the Empire, Book 3.14–15): Provides a contemporary account of the Severan campaigns in Caledonia, describing the marshy terrain, tactics, and guerrilla warfare of the northern native confederations.
  • Xiphilinus (Epitome of Dio): An 11th-century Byzantine monk whose abridgement preserved the lost books of Cassius Dio covering the reign of Severus and the campaigns against the Maeatae.

5. Toponymic & Geographical References

The name of the Maeatae survives in local Scottish place-names near Stirling:

  • Dumyat (Dun Maeat — “Fort of the Maeatae”), a prominent hill in the Ochil Hills overlooking the River Forth.
  • Myot Hill, located near Denny in Stirlingshire.

6. Archaeological & Material References

  • Silver Denarii Hoards: Large hoards of late 2nd- and early 3rd-century Roman silver coins found across Scotland (such as the Falkirk hoard) correlate directly with Cassius Dio’s account of peace payments made by Virius Lupus to the Maeatae in AD 197.

7. Other References

The following sources in the notebook discuss or cite the Maeatae:

  • The Celt, the Roman, and the Saxon (Thomas Wright, Chapter III: “The Caledonians and Mæatæ”): Provides a narrative of the Maeatae invasion during the insurrection of Albinus, the peace purchased by Virius Lupus, and their alliance with the Caledonians.
  • The British Expedition of Septimius Severus (N. Hodgson, Britannia 45): Analyses Cassius Dio’s text (Dio 75.5.4) regarding Virius Lupus’s subsidies to the Maeatae and the distribution of Roman denarii hoards in native hands.

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