Calgacus facts for kids

19th-century print depicting Calgacus delivering his speech to the Caledonians.

Calgacus was a brave leader of the Caledonian Confederacy, a group of tribes in ancient Scotland. He is known for fighting against the powerful Roman army. This battle, called the Battle of Mons Graupius, happened in northern Scotland around AD 83 or 84. Calgacus led his people against the Roman general Gnaeus Julius Agricola.

His name, Calgacus, might mean "possessing a blade" in an old Celtic language. It could also be linked to the Gaelic word calgach, which means "prickly" or "fierce." We don't know if Calgacus was his actual name or a title he held.

Who Was Calgacus?

Calgacus is the first person from Caledonia (ancient Scotland) to be mentioned in history. The only information we have about him comes from a Roman historian named Tacitus. Tacitus wrote a book called Agricola. In this book, Tacitus describes Calgacus as a chieftain who was "most distinguished for birth and valour." This means he was seen as a very important and brave leader among his people.

The Famous Speech

Before the Battle of Mons Graupius, Tacitus wrote a powerful speech that he said Calgacus gave. This speech was meant to inspire his troops to fight against the Romans. In the speech, Calgacus talked about how the Romans were taking over Britain and causing harm. He urged his people to stand strong and defend their freedom.

It's important to remember that Tacitus was writing about his own father-in-law, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who was fighting Calgacus. Because of this, historians think Tacitus might have made some parts of the speech up. He might have wanted to make the Roman victory seem even more impressive.

One famous line from the speech attributed to Calgacus is: "they make a desert and call it peace." This means that the Romans would destroy everything and then claim they brought peace.

After the Battle

After the Battle of Mons Graupius, Calgacus is not mentioned again in history. We don't know what happened to him. He is not listed among the people the Romans took as hostages. Because of this, some historians wonder if Calgacus and his speech were partly or entirely made up by Tacitus. Even if he was a real person, the speech itself might have been a way for Tacitus to share his own thoughts about the Roman Empire.

Images for kids

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  19th-century print depicting Calgacus delivering his speech to the Caledonians.