Classis Britannica
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The Classis Britannica (literally, British fleet, in the sense of 'the fleet in British waters' or 'the fleet of the province of Britannia', rather than 'the fleet of the state of Britain') was a provincial naval fleet of the navy of ancient Rome. Its purpose was to control the English Channel and the waters around the Roman province of Britannia. Unlike modern (and some contemporary Roman) "fighting navies", its job was largely the logistical movement of personnel and support, and keeping open communication routes across the Channel.
There is no literary reference in the classical historians to the Classis Britannica by that name, and archaeological evidence is also tantalizingly scant (although tiles stamped CLBR are common along the east Kent coast and in London, suggesting either government buildings or an early instance of army surplus), meaning that details of its history and form are unfortunately based on a large degree of interpretation.
History
Invasion
A fleet was originally raised for the
Conquest
This fleet played a major role in the subsequent conquest of Britannia. However, Tacitus states that strangely, about twenty years after the invasion, it was not present at
In the
Due to the lack of serious naval opposition in the early Imperial period in the area of the fleet's operations[3] – the invasion crossing, for example, went navally uncontested – the Classis's main role was as logistical support both to the army in Britannia, and also to armies campaigning in later years in Germania.
Iron production
In the Weald of south-east England stamped tiles of the Classis Britannica have been found at sites associated with the production of iron. both in Sussex have associated ironworks. The implication is that the Classis Britannica not only transported iron but was involved in its production as well.
Hiatus
The fleet disappears from the archaeological record towards the middle of the 3rd century but is known from contemporary sources to have continued in existence after this date.
Carausius
In 286,
In late 286 or early 287 he learned of this sentence and responded by usurping power and declaring himself emperor of Britannia and northern Gaul. When the British fleet was attacked by a Rhine fleet representing the Roman Empire, the British fleet was victorious, showing that it must have been substantial at the time. The would-be invaders, however, blamed poor weather for their defeat.
By 300, however, Britannia was once again a part of the larger Roman Empire, and the Classis Britannica restored as a Roman imperial fleet.
End of empire
In the final years of
Ports and harbours
It was originally believed that the main base of the fleet was in
Notes
- ^ Tacitus, Agricola 18
- ^ Tacitus, Agricola 10, 25, 29 - 30, and 38
- Ancient Britonshad no military fleet.
- .
- doi:10.2307/526200.
- ^ Cleere, H., The Romano-British Industrial Site at Bardown, Wadhurst (Sussex Archaeological Society Occasional Paper 1, Chichester, 1970).
- ^ Aldridge, Neil (2001), "Little Farningham Farm, Cranbrook, Revisited", Archaeologia Cantiana, 121: 135–156
- doi:10.5284/1085995.
- ^ Cornwell, K. & L., 'A Roman site on Kitchenham Farm, Ashburnham - first interim report,' HAARG Journal. New series 24 (2008).
- ^ Plaque In Portchester Castle Museum
References
Secondary sources
- Cleere, Henry, "The Classis Britannica", in D. E. Johnston (ed.), The Saxon shore, 1977