Abstract
While there is clear archaeological evidence for the existence of Roman forces based on the western coast of Britain in the late Roman period, the Notitia Dignitatum is notoriously silent about its command structures. This has been accounted for in a number of ways but the most obvious explanation is that the entry is lost. It is suggested that the title of the command survives in Ammianus Marcellinus’ account of the ‘Barbarian Conspiracy’ of AD 367. This conclusion suggests a link between the death of Nectaridius and the attack by the Attacotti in AD 367 since the latter seem to have originated in Ireland, suggesting the main thrust of their attack was on the west coast of Britain. The recovery of the province by Count Theodosius, also recorded by Ammianus, suggests that the newly created province of Valentia was Britannia Prima.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Roman Frontier Studies 2009 |
| Subtitle of host publication | Proceedings of the XXI International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies (Limes Congress) held at Newcastle upon Tyne in August 2009 |
| Editors | Nick Hodges, Paul Bidwell, Judith Schachtmann |
| Place of Publication | Oxford |
| Publisher | Archaeopress |
| Pages | 336-341 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Volume | Roman Archaeology 25 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781784915919 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781784915902 |
| Publication status | Published - 6 Jul 2017 |