How diverse was Roman Britain? | Connecting Research

But Black Africans were far from being “common” even in North Africa, not to mention Roman Britain. A typical roman family in England was white, ... ByDrMatthewNicholls,DepartmentofClassics,UniversityofReading AheatedconversationaroseonsocialmediaonWednesdaysurroundingthequestionoftheracialdiversityofRomanBritain,ortheRomanempiremoregenerally. ThetweetfromAltRightcommentatorPaulJospehWatson,thatkickedoffthedebate ThereisplentyofevidencethattheRomanempirewasrelativelydiverse,asmightbeexpectedfromanempirethatencouragedtradeandmobilityacrossaterritorythatextendedfromHadrian’sWalltonorthAfrica,theRhine,andtheEuphrates(andwhich,lesspositively,enslavedandmovedconqueredpopulationsaroundbyforce). RomeitselfwasameltingpotofpeoplefromallovertheMediterraneanandbeyond(satiricalpoetsmoanaboutit,andwehavetheevidenceoftombstones).OutsideItalytheRomanarmyinparticularactedasmediumforchangeandmovementinseveralways. Itslegions,recruitedfromRomancitizens,werepostedallovertheempire.Soldiersmighttakelocalcommon-lawwivesandmarrythemonretirement,creatingnewgenerationsofRomancitizensoutsideItalywhowouldthenbeeligibleforlegionaryservice. TheinternetdiscussionwasparticularlypromptedbytheappearanceofablackRomansoldierinthedetachmentbuildingHadrian’sWall,butinfactthereisanancientaccountofpreciselythis–theemperorSeptimiusSeverus(himselfinfactanAfrican,fromLibya)wasinspectinghistroopsontheWallwhenoneofthegarrison’swell-knownjokers,an‘Ethiopian’,offeredhimagarland. Severuswasstartledbytheapparentomen,associatingthesoldier’sblackcolourasaportentofhisownimminentdeath,butno-oneseemstohavebeenparticularlysurprisedatthepresenceofan‘Ethiopian’(thatis,ablackAfrican)atthenorthernedgeoftheRomanempire(Hist.Aug.Severus22).TherewereotherAfricansonthewall–athird-centuryADcohortofMaurifromnorthwestAfricaarealsoattestedinaninscriptionatBurgh-by-SandsnearCarlisle. “Hadrian’sWallhadgarrisonsofTungrianandBataviantroopsfromBelgiumandtheNetherlands,aswellasunitsfromasfarawayasSyria” Auxiliarymilitaryunits,leviedfromnon-citizens,weredeliberatelypostedtoareasoftheempirefarfromtheirtroops’homeprovince,soHadrian’sWallalsohadgarrisonsofTungrianandBataviantroopsfromBelgiumandtheNetherlands,aswellasunitsfromasfarawayasSyria. AuxiliaryunitslikethesepassedonRomanmilitarydiscipline,Latin,andRomanculturalhabitsandoftenrewardedtheirsoldierswithgrantsofcitizenshiponretirement,producingmorenewcitizenswithalongtraininginRomanways.AndRomanarmyunitsinfrontierprovincesbuiltroadsandharboursandcreatedinstantlargemarketsforfood,drink,andservices,stimulatingthegrowthoftownsoutsidethefortressgates.Inthelong-term,thisalsomonetisedtradingeconomiesthatdrewinmoreciviliansettlersfromaroundtheempire. Weknowaboutsomeofthesesettlersfromarchaeologicalevidenceandinscriptions.ColleaguesattheUniversityofReadinghaveworkedonboth.DrHellaEckardt’sanalysisofskeletalremainsfoundinYorksuggestthatthecitywashometoimmigrantsfromNorthAfrica(findoutmorehere),whileProfessorPeterKruschwitzhaswrittenonmovinginscriptionsthatdocumentthelivesanddeathsofimmigrantsintheRomanempire. Thisremarkablemonument,discoveredinArbeia (SouthShields)attheeasternendofHadrian’sWall,documentsthelifeofaBritishwifeofaSyrianimmigrantfromPalmyra,includingtextinPalmyrene,oneofseveralpiecesofevidenceforaneareasternpeopleinnorthernBritain. TakealookattheRomansRevealedwebsite,featuringresearchbytheUniversityofReadingandRunnymedeTrust,tofindoutmoreaboutRomansociety. LearnmoreaboutRomanhistoryandexploreanincrediblydetailedvirtualrealitymodelofAncientRomebuiltbyDrNichollsasthisfreeonlinecoursebytheUniversityofReadingandFuturelearnreturnsinOctober2017. Postnavigation ←Tocutornottocut–thatisthequestion Ethnicpaydisparity–acloserlookatdifferencesacrossgroups→ 60thoughtson“HowdiversewasRomanBritain?” DearDrNicholls Thankssomuchforthisinformativepiece. WhileonecanappreciateRomanBritainwasindeeddiverse–canyoushedlightonwhethertheBBC’sdepictionofa‘typical’familyportrait,isinfact,typical?Wasittypicaltoseemixed,nonmono-racialfamiliesasrepresentingthemajorityoffamiliesatthetimeinBritain? Thankseversomuch, Micahel. RemindsmeofthislovelyblogpostandpoembyJosephineBalmer: https://thepathsofsurvival.wordpress.com/2014/06/02/the-first-eastern-european-immigrant/ LonginusSdapezematygusisagreatname. Thankyou,Michael–gladyouenjoyedit.Ican’treallyspeakfortheBBC,butI’mnotsurethattheyweretryingtoclaimtheirRomanfamilywas‘typical’.MyconcernwastoanswerthatTwittercommentbypointingoutfromourevidencethatitwasatleasthistoricallypossible. Beyondthat,wehavesofewdemographicdatafromtheancientworldthatanyclaimaboutnumbersandproportionsishardtosustain.UpinthenorthofBritainatthisdateallincomersduetotheRomanpresencewereinaminority,witharangeofdifferentsubgroupsandunitswithinthatpopulation.Doubtlessblacktroopswereaminority,butweknowthatatleastsomewerethere.Theq.ofwhoseemedRomanandwhowasnotcouldbecomerathercomplicatedandprobablydependedonwhoseperspectiveyouwerelookingfrom.WeretheDutchandBelgianauxiliarytroopsonHadrian’sWall‘Romans’?SpokeabitofLatin,woreRomanuniforms,servedtheRomanempire;butnot(yet)Romancitizens,frompopulationsrelativelyrecentlyconquered,maybeworshippeddifferentgodsoftheirownalongsideRomanandlocalones. ThelongertheRomanswereinBritain,themoreusualitwouldhavebecometoseemixtureandmovement,esp.inthebigtownslinkedbygoodRomanroads.Thelinktoaninscriptionattheendoftheblogpostisagoodexampleofthissortofcomplexity.It’sthegravestoneofawomanfromatribeinsouthernBritainwhowasaslaveandthenmarriedaSyrianfromPalmyra,andendeduplivingwithhimnearHadrian’sWall.Somixedracefamilieswerepossible,andasthistombstoneshowsthemixingeffectofsuchalargeempire–includingtheeffectsofslavery–couldbringpeopletogetherfromverydifferentstartingpoints. Thankssomuchforyourlearnedreply,DrNicholls.Itisgreatlyappreciated. Wishingyouwell. Withkindregards Michael You’reverywelcome–thanksforreading. ”Ican’treallyspeakfortheBBC,butI’mnotsurethattheyweretryingtoclaimtheirRomanfamilywas‘typical’.” Yes–obviouslyitisabitconfusing,DrNicholls,thoughIdidthinktherewasabitofaclueinthesub-heading,i.e. Suitableforteaching7-11s.AnexplorationoflifeinRomanBritainshownthroughtheeyesofaTYPICALFAMILY{myemphasis}.Partsixofan11-partanimatedseries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN_x9o8MV1o Trickystuff–thisresearchbusiness. John–noneedforthesarcasmbut,yes,you’rerightthatthetextbeneaththeBBCvideodoesinfactmakethatclaim.Thankyou.AsIsay,I’mnotintendingtospeakfortheirmotiveshere.Theywere,afterall,makingacartooneducationalresourceforchildrenandinthattheyhavedoneagoodjobasfarasIcansee;ashasbeenfirmlyestablishednow,thechargeofhistoricalinaccuracythatpromptedthispostwaswrong. So,astotheclaimoftypicality–thatdoesn’tseemproblematicaltome.Atleast,thereareallsortsoftypicalanduntypicalfeaturesinthisfamily,dependingonwhatisunderstoodbytheterm,andtheoverallpictureisreasonable. AretheBBCclaimingthatmostRomanfamiliesweremixedraceandcontainedablackperson?Idoubtit;thatwouldbenotbeasensibleclaim.Butthereareplentyofwellresearcheddetailswhichmaketheclaimtoasortofcompositetypicalityreasonable–thecostumes,names,architecture,domesticart,cursetablet,bathhouse,femalebirthdaypartyinvitation,slavery,amphitheatricalgamesandthetwoboys’reactionstoit,etcareallgroundedinliterary,archaeological,orepigraphicexamples.Themotherofthefamilycanreadandwrite–see2minutesin–andthisisprobablyrelativelyunusual(lesssoforanelitefamilylikethis,butfortheRomanworldasawhole,wherebothmaleandfemaleliteracywaslesswidespreadthantoday).Doesthisalsomakethefamily‘untypical’?Well,yes,butnooneseemstohaveobjectedtothisparticulardetail;andofcoursetherearemanyexamplesofindividualwomenwho*could*read/write(includingthewifeofafortcommanderonHadrian’sWall,whoasheresentabirthdayinvitation,foundamongtheVindolandatablets),justasthereareplentyofexamplesofAfricanandSyrianandBelgianetc,etctroopsinRomanBritain. Thesameistrueofthefactthatthisfamilyarerich,holdhighmilitaryoffice,liveinanicevillainBathwithmosaicsandfrescoes(surrounded,wenightnoticeinpassing,byalargemajorityofwhitepeople),andhaveenoughmoneynotjusttoownslavesbuttoemployorownaspecialistpaedagogustoteachQuintusmaths.Noneoftheseattributesare‘typical’ofthemajorityexperiencesbothinRomanBritain–whereofcourseallRomansandcampfollowers,ofwhateverrace,wereminorityincomers,andtherewerefarmoresubsistencefarmersthanmilitaryofficersoreducatedchildren–andofthewiderempire. So–typicalineachindividualparticular?No,butIdon’tthinkthatthisisclaimed(anditwassurelyneverdesignedtoattractthiskindofscrutiny).Plausibleoverall,afairrepresentationofthelifeofaneliteRomanfamilyinearly2ndCBritain,makingsomeinterestingpointsaboutlifeintheprovince,andconformingtoknownexamples?Yes,Ithinkso. “…I’mnotsurethattheyweretryingtoclaimtheirRomanfamilywas‘typical’. Actually,thatisexactlywhattheBBCwastryingtoclaim,thatthishistorylessonwassupposedtobe“throughtheeyesofatypicalRomanfamily”.Idon’tthinkanyonewouldarguethattherewereindeed,somepeoplefromotherRomanprovincesinBriton1800yearsago,butIsomehowdoubtthata“typicalRomanfamily”consistedofablackfatherandson,alighterskinnedwifeandwhiteslaves. I’verepliedonthisabove.The‘typical’familyintheprovincewouldalsonotcontainahighrankingofficer,aliteratewife,avillawithfrescoes,childrenbeingtaughtmathematics,etc.Itseemsareasonablecompositetome.TheBBChavetheirownreasonsforchoosingtheseelements,butthechargeofhistoricalinaccuracyisnotright. DrNicholls Impuzzledbythefollowingthatyouwrote… “butI’mnotsurethattheyweretryingtoclaimtheirRomanfamilywas‘typical’.” Thecaptiontothepictureclearlystatesthatthefamilywasindeed“typical”. Possible?Certainly.But“typical”wouldsuggestthata“non-typical”familywouldbewhite.WhydoyouthinktheBBCelectedtodisplayamixedracefamilyas“typical”? Onthesubjectofmixedracefamilies: Inourepigraphicevidence,dowehaverecordsofwomenfromAfricaortheLevantaswellasmen? TheexamplesI’veseenquoted,aswellascommonsense,suggestsitwasmorecommonformentotravelsofar(i.e.astraders,orinthearmy)thanitwasforwomen.Butcommonsensehasbeenknowntobelessthansensible. Still,ifthatisso,thesemenprettymuchHADtomarrylocalwomeniftheywantedfamilies,whichwouldmeanamixedracecouplingwouldactuallybefarmoretypicalthananon-mixedblack/north-African/Syriancouple. Thenagain,italsooccurstomethattheremighthavebeenplentyoffemaleslavesorservantswhojoinedsuchsoldiersortradersontheirtravels,butwouldhavebeenfarlesslikelytoleaveanepigraphicrecord.Likewise,atraderor(high-ranking)soldiermighthavealreadybeenmarriedandbroughthiswife. AndtherearealsofamousexamplesofwomeninRomanBritainwithforeignroots,suchastheLewisBanglelady. Isthereanyevidencetoindicatewhetherwomenthemselveswouldhavetravelledfromotherpartsoftheempire,orshouldwesupposesuchindividualstobetheoffspringofmixed-racedcouplesasshowninthevideo? I’dbeinterestedinanyinsightsyouhavetooffer.Eitherway,thankyouforyourtimeinaddressingthis. Interestingquestion.I’dhavetoreadthroughtheepigraphiccorpustogivethedefinitiveanswer,butIwouldguessthatyou’dberightthatmalemobilitywashigher;certainlyplentyofsoldierstooklocalwives,formallyorinformally.Barathes’wifeintheinscriptionlinkedabovewasaslavefromatribeinsouthernBritain,andmarriagesbetweenfreedslavesandformerownersturnupafairbitininscriptions. It’snotquitewhatyouaskedabout,butoneofmyfavouriteVindolandatextsisfromaprettyhighstatuswoman,ClaudiaSevera,wifeofaRomanfortcommander,toSulpiciaLepidina,wifeoftheRomangarrisoncommanderinchargeofthecohortofBataviansatVindolanda–thefamousbirthdaypartyinvitation.Acharmingtextifyoudon’tknowit,betweentwoRomanwomenwhoprobablyfeltabitmaroonedupthereinfrontiercountry.There’sanodtothatintheBBCvideothatstartedallthisdiscussion,incidentally. Thanksforreplying.Idoknowthattext.It’sindeedcharming,butalsochangedmyperceptionofhowweshouldenvisionarmycamplife.It’stooeasytogetcaughtupinabstractdiagramsorlistsandforgetwe’redealingwithpeople. It’slikethememoirIreadofthebattleofWaterloo,whichtalkedaboutawifecomingtofindherhusbandmid-battletoshowhimhisnewlybornchild,afraidthathe’ddiebeforehecouldseehisson,andrefusingtobelievetheofficerwhotoldherhe’dsentthemanbacktocampassoonastheyheardthenewsofthebirth. There’ssomuchmorelifegoingonintheseplacesthanweimagine,evenamongsoldiers,eveninthemidstsofbattle.Inthat,Ithinkthevideooffersavaluableperspective,sinceitdoesstressthisaspect.(ThoughIcan’tsayI’mtoofondofitsstyleofpresentation.) Diduseemycommentarysir? Goodmorning,Dr.Nicholls.Ihaveafewquestionsforyou. –IswhatSeptimeSeverewhowashalfLibyanhalfItaliancanbeconsideredblack? –HowmanytroopsthatinvadedEnglandwereextraeuropeene?Wasitinlargenumbers?IsitwrongtorepresenttheRomansasbeinggenerallywhite? –InagreementwithwikipediaherearethelegionsthatinvadedEngland;[6]AulusPlautius,adistinguishedsenator,wasgivenatotalloadoffourkilogramsLegions,totallingabout20,000men,moreaboutthesamenumberofauxiliaries. LegioIIAugusta LegioIXHispana LegioXIVGemina LegioXXValeriaVictrix” Knowswherethesoldiersoftheselegionswererecruited. -IrecentlysawadocumentaryorHannibalBarcawasrepresentedblackisthistrue?IalwaysthoughtthattheCarthaginianswerethedescendantsofthePhoenicianswhoevencamefromtheMiddleEast? IsthatwhatthemoorsandtheinhabitantsofNorthAfricaduringtheantiquitywasblack? Franck–lotsofinterestingquestions. SeptimiusSeverus:youarerightabouthisbackground.Hismother’sfamilyhadareasonablydistinguishedItalianancestry.Onhisfather’ssidehewasLibyan/Roman–hewasborninLepcisMagna,atownonthePunic-speakingcostofnorthAfricawhichnonethelessbythisdatehadalonghistoryasaRomancolony–anotherexampleofmultipleoroverlappingidentitiesintheRomanempire.Ancientsourceswhowanttoknockhimforhisprovincialbackgroundcommentonhisaccent,forexample;latersomeothersofhisdynastygotintodifficultyinRomeovertheiradherencetoeasternreligiouscults.UnusuallyforaRomanemperorwehaveapaintingofhimaswellasstatues,thoughhowfarthesecanbeusedsimplyasevidenceofwhathelookedlikeinlife(ratherthanhowhewantedtobeseen)isnotaneasyquestion,asI’vesaidtosomeonebelow. ‘England’didnotexistatthisdate,andtherewasnonationofBritaintobeinvaded–rather,apatchworkoftribalkingdoms.Butyes,thesearethelegionsthatinvadedunderClaudiusandgarrisonedtheislandandtwoofthem(XXandII,plusVIVictrix,whichwasmovedinfromSpain)wereinvolvedinthebuildingofHadrian’sWall.TheyhadalonghistoryofserviceonthecontinentbythetimetheygottoBritain(variouslye.g.Spain,Illyria,Germany).LegionarieswereRomancitizens(whobythisdatemightwellcomefromoutsideItaly–you’dhavetolookthroughtheepigraphyofthelegiontoseeifyoucouldtellfrompeople’snameswhereaboutstheycamefrom)butlegionsoncampaignwouldalsobeaccompaniedbynon-citizenauxiliarytroopswhomightcomefromallovertheempire.Formoreyoucouldtrye.g.LawrenceKeppie’scollectedpapersinLegionsandVeterans;fortheRomanpresenceintheislande.g.DavidMattingly,orP.Salway’sHistoryofRomanBritainamongmuchelse.ThisonlinefreecourseonHadrian’sWallmaybeofinterest: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/hadrians-wall “Still,ifthatisso,thesemenprettymuchHADtomarrylocalwomeniftheywantedfamilies,whichwouldmeanamixedracecouplingwouldactuallybefarmoretypicalthananon-mixedblack/north-African/Syriancouple.” Thepreviouscommentaryevokesinterracialrelationshipsasacommonthingcanwereallysaythat? BasiclogicstatesthatifyouaretheonlypersonfromyourcitystatethathastravelledtotheBritishIsles,thenifyoumarry,it*has*tobetosomeoneyouwouldconsider“foreign”. Remember,theaveragepersondidn’ttravelmorethanhalfaday’swalkfromhome.That’s~4*4miles.16milesistheradiusofyourlifeonfootasapeasant,etc.That’syoursmalltowntothenexttown. Themilitaryareahugeexception,withverymobilelargegroupsofyoungmentravellingfaster(forcedmarch),andgoing(oneway)togarrisonsthatcanfeedandhousethem. Obviouslyyou’vegottradersandtheoccasionaltravellertoo,butthey’dnotstayinaplaceandsettle,generally. Soyes.Anysoldiergettingmarriedisgoingtobetosomeonetheyneversawbefore,withnoconnectionorsharedfriendsorfamilyorlocations.Trulyforeign–theywouldn’tevenhavethesamefirstlanguages.Don’tgethungupontheskincolours. Well,basiclogicstatesthatifyouaretheonlypersonfromyourcitystatethathastravelledtotheBritishIsles,thenifyoumarry,it*has*tobetosomeoneyouwouldconsider“foreign”. Remember,theaveragepersondidn’ttravelmorethanhalfaday’swalkfromhome.That’s~4*4miles.16milesistheradiusofyourlifeonfootasapeasant,etc.That’syoursmalltowntothenexttown. Themilitaryareahugeexception,withverymobilelargegroupsofyoungmentravellingfaster(forcedmarch),andgoing(oneway)togarrisonsthatcanfeedandhousethem. Obviouslyyou’vegottradersandtheoccasionaltravellertoo,butthey’dnotstayinaplaceandsettle,generally. Soyes.Anysoldiergettingmarriedisgoingtobetosomeonetheyneversawbefore,withnoconnectionorsharedfriendsorfamilyorlocations.Trulyforeign–theywouldn’tevenhavethesamefirstlanguages.Don’tgethungupontheskincolours. IamSyrianfromthatpartofSyriathatprovidedtheauxiliaryarcherswhoservednearHadrian’sWall,andinYork.Today,IfindthatmyDNAissharedbyanumberofScottishfamilies! Extremelycool…InthepastyearsIhaveseenmanypicsofblueeyedred/blondehairedchildrenintheregionaswell.Ithinkthereweremultiplechancesformixes,butthisiscertainlyone. That’sgreatAli!MysonispartLebanese,partFrenchpartBritish,andhissonishalfChinese,soapropermixup. “Doubtlessblacktroopswereaminority,butweknowthatatleastsomewerethere.” blacktroopsornorthafricantroops?bcitheromanempiredontstretchtosubsaharianafrica “Don’tgethungupontheskincolours.”iamnotbutit’sthepointofthesubject? Areyousurethatwomensoldierscannottravelwiththembecauseinthiscaseyourtheoryisnotnecessarilytrue. Hmmm..Therewasabitofanargumenton%ofPOCtheRomansconsistedofandformedfamiliesonsite,tocuttothechase. TheBBC“educationalseries”pushahigh%justbythevisualsincartoons.Thisisactuallyeasytodetermineiftrueornot. Ifsuchahigh%existed,thentheDNArecordwouldbefruitful.Notfindingthat.MaybesomeoneotherthanmecanfindarecordofAfricanDNAemanatingfromtheperiod. Neanderthalseemsmorelikelytobeyourdaddy,ifcomingfromNoEu,Ihaveahigherpercentthannormalatnearly4%per23andMe. Seemsaninstitutionofhigherlearningwouldbeabletoskinthisoneoutinrathershortorder. SurelyRoman“Britain”wasn’tethnicallydiverseinanystatisticallymeaningfulway?Londiniumwas,probablyamainlya“foreign”or“Roman”(butnotveryItalian)city,withasubclassofracially“British”workingclass?SamewithmostRomangarrisontownswithunitsfromallovertheEmpire,probablywithahighGermanicandGallicelement.Butonceyougotoutsidethebiggertownsandintothecountrywheremostoftheaboriginal“British”lived,you’dbeunlikelytoseemanyforeignersotherthantheoddtraderandtaxcollector.I’dguesstheplacetolookforgeneticevidencetotestthetheorywouldbeareaswhereex-Romansoldiersweresettledandmayhavemarriedmainlylocalwomen.Africangeneswillstickoutlikeasorethumbincurrentlyruraldistricts. Yes,therewouldsurelybedifferentlevelsofvisiblediversityinbigtownsandmilitaryoutposts(notsurewhatwouldcountas‘statisticallymeaningful’butIagreethatwearenottalkingaboutlarge%s).Wecanseeempiricalchangeinthearchaeologyandliterarysources.Thebuildingofallthosestraightroads,militarycamps,establishmentofacasheconomy,etcallmeantthattherewasmoremovementtoandwithintheprovincethanbefore(thoughtherehadbeenafairbitofcrosschannelinteractionevenbeforetheRomansintheSE).TheVindolandatablets,forexample,arefullofit.BritainitselfwasapatchworkofdifferenttribesatthetimeandtheadmixtureoftheseintownsandtradingpostsmighthavebeenanotherwayinwhichtheRomanpresencestirredthingsup–seee.g.theBarathesandReginastone.Remoterpartsofthecountrysidemaywellhavebeenlesseffected.Thecartoonwhichstartedtheconversation,though,issetina)Hadrian’sWallandb)Bath,sourban/militarysettingswithamoreovertRomanpresence.IhavenoexpertiseinDNAstudiesbuthaveseeninterestingcommentsbyothersonwhattheycanandcan’ttellusatthisintervaloftime.NevilleMorley’sbloghasapieceonthis. BeingfromNorthAfricaorMiddleEastwasnotthatuncommoninthelegionaries,butthosepeopleweren’tblackbyanymeasure.Theywereinfactlessbrownthanthecurrentinhabitantsofthoseareasonaverage. Suretherewould’vebeensomecasesofaethiopian,sub-saharanafricanlegionarycomingin,butastestifiedbyhowstartledtheemperorwastoseesuchamanthere,itwasextremelyrare. Seebelow(morelikelyauxiliarytroopsthanlegionaries).Idon’tdoubtthatyouarerightthatthiswasanunusualsight,butfarfromanimpossibleone. “theemperorSeptimiusSeverus(himselfinfactanAfrican,fromLibya)” Typicaldishonesty.SeveruscamefromNorthAfrica.Hewasdescendedfrom*Italiancolonists.*Thatmeanshewasnotasub-SaharanAfrica,norwasheanindigenousNorthAfrican(whowere,weknow,geneticallyCaucasian/Caucasoidsanyway). StatuesofSeverusshowhewasaEuropeanCaucasian: http://www.ancient.eu/uploads/images/358.jpg?v=1485681253 SomuchfortheclaimthathewasAfrican Happytodiscussfactsandevidence,butIwouldratherkeepthingscourteous:‘Typicaldishonesty’?Typicalofwhom,orofwhat? SeveruscamefromNorthAfrica,asyousay.Whosaidhewassub-Saharan?HecertainlyhadItalianancestors;PunicforebearsinLepcisMagnamayhaverootsinanotherMediterraneanmigrationofPhoenicianstothenorthAfricancoast.HethereforehadadistinguishedRomanancestry,thoughbythistimethatappliedtolotsofpeoplebornoutsideItaly.InsofarastheHist.Aug.isareliablesource,weseetherethatSeverusneverlostan‘Africanaccent’andwasembarrassedthathissistercouldbarelyspeakLatin;sohe,orhisbiographer,wasatleastsensitivetothechargethathewasofmixedorigins. Hisstatuesshowusanumberofthings,inc.thathewaskeentopresenthimselfwithsimilarhairandbeardtothepreviousAntoninedynastywithwhomheclaimedcontinuity–Romanportraitstatuesarenotsimplerecordsofpersonalappearance,thoughtheirphysiognomyishighlyconvincing.ThereisalsoafamoustondoportraitoftheSeveranfamily. “theemperorSeptimiusSeverus(himselfinfactanAfrican,fromLibya)wasinspectinghistroopsontheWallwhenoneofthegarrison’swell-knownjokers,an‘Ethiopian’,offeredhimagarland. Severuswasstartledbytheapparentomen,associatingthesoldier’sblackcolourasaportentofhisownimminentdeath,butno-oneseemstohavebeenparticularlysurprisedatthepresenceofan‘Ethiopian’(thatis,ablackAfrican)atthenorthernedgeoftheRomanempire” Seemsatadmyopic.Inyourownwords,Severuswas“startled.” Myopic?notsureIfollow. Anyway,‘myownwords’arenotimportanthere;weneedtolookatwhatthe*actualevidence*sayswhichinthiscaseisalatebiographyofdubiousmerit,thesocalledHistoriaAugusta.Igavethereferenceintheblog.Youcanfindithere:http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/L/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Septimius_Severus*.html#22 My‘startled’isparaphrase,nottranslation.Thewholeparagraphisaboutomens.WhatbothersSep.Sev.isthatheisbeingofferedagarlandofcypress,asymboloffunerals,byamanwhoseblackcolourseemstohimaportentofdeath(thepoorchapdidn’thelpmattersbycallingoutasajokethatSep.Sev.should,havingaccomplishedsomuch,‘becomeagod’).TheLatinadjectivesforSeverushereareiratusandtactus–angeredatthepresumption/illomenandliterally‘touched’or‘perturbed’bythecombinationofcolourandgarland.Obviouslytheman’sheritagewasunusual,orwhycommentonit,butnotradicallyoutoftheordinaryoracauseforcommentinitself.Anditservestoconfirmtheoriginalpoint–thattheBBCwasquitewithinitsrightstodepictablackRomansoldieronHadrian’sWall. Pingback:DidQuintusLolliusUrbicussneakacrosstheborder?-ButterfliesandWheels We’reallfamiliarwiththeideathat‘wewereallimmigrantsonce’.Thatseemedreasonableenoughtoanyonewiththeslightestinklingofthepast2000yearsofBritishhistory:wavesofinvaders–Romans,Anglo-saxons,Normans–followedbywavesofrefugeesfromEuropean&Colonialwarsandpogroms.I’vejustbegunlearningaboutrecentadvancesinhumangenetics,beginningwithProfessorBryanSykes’TheSevenDaughtersofEve,andamamazedtodiscoverjusthow‘mixedup’Europeanpopulationswerefromtheverybeginningsofhumansettlements.AndthatincludesBritainandtheMiddleEast!TherearepeoplenowlivinginIrelandandinKurdistan(forexample)whosharethesamemitochondrialdNA,whichmeanstheysharethesamefemale-lineancestorperhaps15,000+yearsago,notbecauseofanyrecentinvasionormigrationinrecordedhistory,butbecauseofoursharedmembershipofhumanityovermillennia.Itlooksasifwehavebecome(andarestillbecoming)more,ratherthanless,‘tribal’,duringourrecordedhistory.Nationsbegintolookevermoreartificial,notjusttheonescreatedwithrectilinearbordersafterWW1,buteventheoneswetendtobelievemoreculturallyandlinguisticallydefined. Interestingstuff! WhatamazesmeisthatthehistoricallyilliteratecriticismoftheideathateveryoneintheRomanempirewas“white”—acategorywhichsimplydidn’texisttillwellintotheModernera—seemstocomeexclusivelyfromfilmsandtelevisionprogrammesinwhichRomansarealmostinvariablyportrayedbywhiteBritishactors. Yes;andtheassumptionthatethnicdifferencewasmostlyaboutskincolour,orthatculturalidentitywasstraightforwardandsingle.TheRomanempirewasalargeandcomplexplace. Pingback:CambridgeClassicsFacultyspeaks-ButterfliesandWheels Pingback:TheDiversityinRomanBritain‘debate’|ConsultingPhilologist Pingback:RomanintheGloamin:TheTautologyofADiverseEmpire|AWildernessofPeace Thereis0evidenceforblackAfricansinRomanBritain. Igaveyousomeoftheevidenceabove.Didyoureadit? Pingback:ACartoon’sBlackStarPromptsAFight:WhatDidRomanBritainLookLike?–Nation&WorldNews Thisdiscussionisallmessedup.Judginghistoricaleventsaccordingtomodernmoralstandardsishistoricalfalsificationhoweveryouputit.Ifraceandethnicityorskincolourwherenotopicsintheperiodandplacewe’retalkingaboutthendiscussingabouteventsinthosetermsisapointlessexercise.NextwecomplainaboutthelackoftransgendersamongtheHuns. Everyageviewsthepastthroughitsownlens.Iagreewithyouthatthere’sbeenfarmoreheatthanlightinthisparticulardebate–toputitmildly,alotofpeopleseemtobeprojectingtheirownconcernsontoaneducationalcartoonforchildren.Peoplecanformtheirownopinions,butwhatIwantedtodoherewaslayoutsomeofthesourcematerialbehindthefairlyfirmscholarlyconsensusthat’semergedinresponse. AfewpeopleinthecommentsaboveseemtoalludetoNassimTaleb’sDNAargument,claimingthatwewouldseeDNAevidenceiftherehadbeenblackAfricansinRomanBritain.Foranyoneinterested,thisarticle(byanexpertinpopulationgenetics)squarelydebunksTaleb’sclaims: https://iainews.iai.tv/articles/beard-nassem-taleb-twitter-feud-and-dangers-of-scientism-auid-868?access=ALL Thanksforthelink.I’dhavebeenmoreinclinedtolistentoMrTaleb’scontributionsiftheyhadn’tbeensoaggressivelymade.Asthisarticlesays,thecontributiondnacanmaketothisdiscussionisinterestingbut(itseemstome)limited.NevilleMorley’sSphinxbloghasmoreandisworthalook:https://thesphinxblog.com/2017/08/02/diversitas-et-multiculturalismus/ DearDr.Nicholls, ihaveaproblemwiththeargumentsyoushowtounderlinethatafamilylikeintheimagewouldhavebeenpossible.Idon’tdoubtthatwereexceptionsandthatitcouldhavebeenpossible,butyourargumentsdon’thelpeither,becausethepersonsyoulistedareAfricanbutmostlikelynotblack-African(iamnotsureifthisisanappropriateterminEnglish,ihopeitis).Youdon’tdoit,butnamingSeptimiusSeverusanAfricantogetherwiththeEthiopianman,impliesthathewasblackaswell.ButLepcisMagnawasaromancolonyandhewouldhavebeenprobablyofsemiticanditalianheritage.EvenifyoutaketheNumidiansandthegovernorofBritainDr.Beardpresentsasanexample,youstillhavenotablackmanbutasemiticorberber-lookingperson.ArguingthatwayonlysupportstheAfrocentristsandsupportsclaimslikethatHannibalorCleopatrawereblack-skinnedpeople.Ipersonallywouldn’tmind,butasscholarsweshouldlookattheevidencewehave. HelloMarkus.Thanksforyourcomment.Ithinkwelargelyagreewitheachother,actually.Idon’tthinkSeptimiusSeverusandthe‘Aethiops’hadthesameracialbackground.You’rerighttopointoutthatIdon’tsaythis–seemyanswerabove(andcommentsfromotherreaders)agreeingwithyourunderstandingoftheemperor’sorigins.He’sAfrican(andoftenreferredtoassuch,e.g.inthetitleofBirley’sbiography)inasmuchashecamefromRomanAfrica.IngeneralIprefertolookatwhatevidencewehavefortheancientworld,ratherthanuseittojustifyorcommentonmodernideasaboutrace.That’swhyIpostedonthisinthefirstplace,andit’sgeneratedsomeinterestingconversations. Pingback:IfMaryBeardisright,what’shappenedtotheDNAofAfricansfromRomanBritain?|Science Pingback:IfMaryBeardisright,what'shappenedtotheDNAofAfricansfromRomanBritain?-NEWSPOSTAL Pingback:IfMaryBeardisright,what'shappenedtotheDNAofAfricansfromRomanBritain?-LatestEthiopianandWorldNews Pingback:IfMaryBeardisright,what'shappenedtotheDNAofAfricansfromRomanBritain?|Science-AlexPoucher Pingback:OnTakingthePositivesfromFailure|SeekingNomoi Dearcolleague, Thankforyourpost.ThefactthatRomanAfricawasextremelyimportantinRomanEmpirecannotbedenied:infactbothinpolitical(Severandynasty)andreligiouxmatters(riseofchristianism,Augustine)thisregionplayedavitalroleinRomanhistory.IthasevenbeenthemostquietpartoftheEmpire(atleastuntil429),whiletherestofRomanempirewasenduringdifficultiesthroughlateantiquity. Nevertheless,thisBBCcartoonisatleastclumsy.RomanAfricawasethnicallycomposedofmediteraneanpeople,andcontainedlessBlackAfricansthantoday(mostofthemareinfactalegacyoftrans-saharianslavery).Asawhole,theempirewasmainlyeuropanandmediterranean. “Ethnicdiversity”ofRomanempireisindeedanobviousfactfarrightandracistactivistsshouldlearnratherthaninsultinghistorians.ButBlackAfricanswerefarfrombeing“common”eveninNorthAfrica,nottomentionRomanBritain.AtypicalromanfamilyinEnglandwaswhite,orpossibly,inareasofgarrison,mediterranean. Asanhistorian,Iamreallyworriedbythegrowinguseofhistorytopromoteanagendaconcerningprimarlyourtimes.Conservativeshavedoneitroutenely,nowitseemssomeprogressives,inthenameofannon-historical“politicalycorrectness”havealsojumpedin. BestregardsfromFrance, Chamil Thankyou,DrNichollsforthisexcellentarticle.InthearticleyoumentionedsatiricalpoetswhobemoanedthediversityoftheRomanEmpire.I’dliketoreadsomeofthesepoemsandalsolearnmoreabouttheethnicdiversityofRome.Thankyou Pingback:IfMaryBeardisright,what'shappenedtotheDNAofAfricansfromRomanBritain?-HowToBeCharming.com Commentsareclosed. Recentposts ‘Limitedevidence’smartmeterswouldsaveconsumersmoney ‘Imprints’egalitariantheoryjournalnowavailabletoall IstheTrumpadministrationgettingEastAsiaright,orjustconfusingit? 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