DEFENSIVE OR DEFICIENT

When we are confronted with forts near the coast, it is natural to jump to the conclusion that this coast needed defence against an invader. This has long been the thinking on the forts of the ‘Saxon Shore’ – Saxons seem the obvious culprit; and after all, it is called the Saxon Shore. But there’s a problem. The forts were built before the Saxons appeared.

By Martijn Calleeuw

There’s a gap of roughly a century and a half between the construction of the forts and the appearance of the name in the Notitia Dignitatum in the late fourth century, which we use to determine their function. The conclusion that the forts were built to keep out Saxons (or Germanic raiders in general) appears premature. Several other alternative reasons for the forts have been suggested. When we look at the sources, we see that a commander, Carausius, was commissioned in AD 285/6 to defend the coasts of Belgica and Armorica (“to clear the sea”) against Franks and Saxons who “infested” those coasts (Eutropius Breviarium 9.21–22). Such raiders were active in the Channel, but it is not clear if Britain was also under attack. Carausius usurped power in Britain shortly after…

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Ancient Warfare (Digital) - 1 Issue, AW XV.5

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