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Were the Irish part of accepted society in Roman Britain?

• Message 1.Β 

  Posted by TheodericAur (U13724457) on Monday, 13th July 2009

  Ogham stones found in Scotland, Wales, Devon and Cornwall as well as in Silchester would seem to indicate that the Irish were settled in Roman Britain and indeed some Ogham stones have Latin inscriptions. If this is the case was the threat by the Irish to the Brythons over stated?

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by an ex-nordmann - it has ceased to exist (U3472955) on Wednesday, 15th July 2009

  I'm not sure whether any threat was "over stated" or even "under stated" for that matter. I do think however that confining the relationship between Ireland-based people and those living in Britain to that of "threat" is probably where historians in the past have sold the truth short.
  
  The Irish, even according to their own records, were making a good living out of raiding Britain - especially for slaves - but this in itself cannot be a complete description of commercial, cultural and political overlap between the countries over several centuries. Recent archaeology in Ireland suggests a two-way traffic at least at some point along the way, and the eventual expansion of the Dal Riada kingdom into Scotland later can be taken as evidence that at least some Irish power-centres were willing and able to pursue a more rigorous policy of invasion into British territory (one suggested reason for the inordinately large size of the Roman fortifications in and around Chester).
  
  What is generally agreed however is that the Romans were not successful in assuming control of what is now believed to be an extensive and complex Atlantic-based trade network in which the Irish must indeed have been central players, and concentrated simply on securing their own cross-channel supply routes. While it is tempting to concentrate on the Irish aspect to this trade it would probably be fairer to conceptualise it as a much larger and sturdier network than previously assumed, and composed of a giant horseshoe-shaped alliance of coastal power-centres skirting Roman Britain with a great deal more cohesion than historians (or probably even contemporary Romans) have previously given them credit for.
  
  
  Glimpses of the wealth and power this trade could generate are found in cases such as Carausius's brief to eliminate "pirates" who then in fact helped elevate him to the position of local "emperor" in the 3rd century. While it suited the Romans to dismiss them as "pirates" there was obviously a bit more to them than that. After all, it seems likely that they bankrolled his effective "purchase" of the entire British Roman army's loyalty - something that must have cost a bit!
  
  

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  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by TheodericAur (U13724457) on Wednesday, 15th July 2009

  Hi Nordmann
  
  Many thanks.
  
  It seems to me that there is an awful amount that is unknown about the naval endeavours around Britain and indeed Ireland considering the huge amount of troops and trade that were obviously shipped all around.
  
  Kind Regards - TA

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