ditch, 5 feet on the South of the principal agger, and nearly of as large dimensions. This work was garrisoned by soldiers stationed at proper intervals, in forts which had formed the first wall of Agricola. Twenty years after this, A. D. 140, Lollius Urbicus, under the Emperor Antoninus, having re-conquered the Mæatæ, restored the second Wall of Agricola, which is commonly called the Vallum Antonini. This work consisted of a ditch about 12 feet wide, the principal wall, or vallum, on the South brink of the ditch, whose foundations are 12 feet thick, but the height is unknown, and a military way on the South of the vallum. There were forts, or stations, at the distance of every two miles, and smaller towers in the intervals between the forts.

But the greatest work of all was that of Severus, yet to be described. It was begun A. D. 209, and finished the next year, and was only a few yards to the North of Hadrian's Wall. This great work consisted of a ditch, the dimensions of which are not known, except that it was in all respects larger and wider than that of Hadrian, on the South brink of which stood the wall, built of solid stone, and cemented with the strongest mortar. The height of this wall was 12 feet, besides the parapet, and its breadth 8 feet, defended at intervals by fortresses of three different kinds. Those called stationes were very strong garrisons, the least of them capable of containing 600 men, and having a town without their walls; the number of these was not less than 18, at an average distance of four miles from each other, but placed with some irregularity, according to the nature of the surrounding country and the exigency of defence. Besides these,

there were, in the intervals of the stations, 81 castella, at the distance of about 7 furlongs from each other. These were very strong forts, each exactly 64 feet square. Lastly, between every 2 castella were 4 turres, or turrets, 12 feet square, 324 in number, and 300 yards distant from each other. These were used as watch towers, and, being within reach of each other, communications could be made with the utmost facility. For convenience of relieving guards, there was a military way, made of square stones, the whole length of the wall, on its South side, and communicating with each turret and castle; and at some distance, South of this, was another larger military way, paved also with square stone, communicating from station to station. The whole body of forces employed to garrison this stupendous work was not less than 10,000 men, 1600 of whom were cavalry, and 600 mariners, at the points where the ramparts communicated with the shore.

The four principal Roman roads, Viæ stratæ, hence called Streets, were the Watling Street, across the country from Dover to Cardigan, Anglesea, or Chester, (for authors are not agreed on this point, but the latter appears the more probable,) passing through London, St. Albans, Dunstable, Towcester, Atherstone, Wall, and Wroxeter. Its etymology is uncertain, but it is perhaps corrupted from the name of Vitellianus into Vitellin or Watling Street. The Foss Way, derived from fossa, a ditch, extended from Totness in Devonshire through Cirencester and Lincoln to North Britain. The Ikenild Street, probably so called from the Iceni through whose country it ran, extended from Southampton,

through York, to Newcastle upon Tyne. The Ermin Street, most probably derived from the Saxon Herrman, a warrior, signifying that it was a military road, extended from St. David's to Southampton. From these principal roads there were many minor branches.

Of the British Islands, Vectis was the Isle of Wight; the Cassiterides were the Scilly Islands, which are said to have been frequented by the Phoenicians; Mona Taciti, or the Mona described by Tacitus in his Life of Agricola, is the Isle of Anglesea; and Mona Cæsaris the Isle of Man. Ierne, or Hibernia, was Ireland.

1

CHAPTER V.

HISPANIA.

SPAIN was divided by the Romans at first into two provinces, called Hispania Citerior, or nearer, and Hispania Ulterior, or farther Spain. Hispania Citerior was afterwards called Tarraconensis, from Tarraco its capital, and extended from the foot of the Pyrenees to the mouth of the Durius, or Douro, on the Atlantic shore, comprehending all the North of Spain, together with all the South as far as a line drawn below Carthago Nova, or Carthagena, and continued, in an oblique direction, to the Durius, above Salmantica, now Salamanca. Hispania Ulterior was divided into two provinces, Bætica, or the South of Spain, between the river Anas, or Guadiana, and Hispania Citerior; and above it, Lusitania, corresponding in great measure, but not entirely, to our Portugal. Hispania Citerior, or Tarraconensis, contained many nations. The Ceretani, Cosetani, Lacetani, and Hlergetes, occupied what is now Catalonia. Here was Barcino, or Barcelona, Tarraco, or Tarragona, the capital of the province, and Ilerda, the capital

of the Ilergetes, now Lerida, celebrated for the resistance it made against Cæsar, under the Lieutenants of Pompey, Afranius and Petronius. North Westward, at the foot of the Pyrenees, were the Jacetani. The Vascones were seated in the kingdom of Navarre; whose chief city was Pompelo, or Pampeluna. The Cantabri* possessed Biscay, and part of Asturias, and held out against the Roman power for many years. Among them were the Concani, whose ferocity is also celebrated by Horace. † Next to the Cantabri were the Astures, or inhabitants of Asturias, whose capital Asturica is still called Astorga. The station of the seventh legion gave name to the colony of Legio, or Leon. Still Westward, the Callæci or Calliaci inhabited the country now called Gallicia. Here was the promontory of Artabrum, or Cape Finisterre, North East of which was Brigantium, now Corunna. At the mouth of the Durius is the port of Calle, which, having been corrupted into Portugal, has given a modern name to the antient province of Lusitania. South East of the Astures are the Vaccæi, and South East of them the Arevaci, in Leon and Castile. Among the Vaccæi, was Palentia, and East of it was Numantia, among the Pelendones, which resisted the Roman armies fourteen years, and was utterly destroyed by Scipio Africanus Minor, B. C. 133. A. U. C. 621. It was situated near the sources of the Douro. Below the river Iberus, or

* Cantabrum indoctum juga ferre nostra.

Hor. Od. II. 6.

Cantaber sera domitus catena.

Hor. Od. III. 8.

+ Et lætum equino sanguine Concanum.

Hor. Od. III. 4.