Count of the Saxon Shore facts for kids
The Count of the Saxon Shore for Britain (in Latin, comes littoris Saxonici per Britanniam) was a very important military leader in the later Roman Empire. Their job was to protect the southern and eastern coasts of Roman Britain. This was a time when many pirate groups and tribes from outside the empire were attacking by sea.
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Protecting Roman Britain's Coasts
The Count of the Saxon Shore was one of three main military leaders in Britain during this period. The other two were the Dux Britanniarum (who protected the northern borders) and the Comes Britanniarum (who commanded troops in the central parts of Britain).
What Was the Saxon Shore?
The "Saxon Shore" was a system of forts and military bases along the coasts of Britain and Gaul (modern-day France). These forts were built to defend against sea raids, especially from groups like the Saxons and Franks.
Who Was the Count?
The position of the Count of the Saxon Shore was probably created around the time of Emperor Constantine I. We know it existed by AD 367 because a historian named Ammianus Marcellinus mentioned a leader named Nectaridus in this role.
Early Days of the Command
At first, this military command might have covered both sides of the English Channel, including Britain's western coast. This was similar to the command held by Carausius earlier. However, by the end of the 4th century, the role became smaller. Gaul then had its own separate commanders, like the dux tractus Armoricani and dux Belgicae Secundae.
Facing Big Challenges: The Great Conspiracy
In 367 AD, Roman Britain faced a huge challenge. A series of invasions, sometimes called the "Great Conspiracy," happened. Picts, Franks, Saxons, Scots, and Attacotti attacked. The Roman army in Britain was defeated, and the Count, Nectaridus, was killed.
After this, a Roman general named Count Theodosius helped reorganize the army. He made some changes to the Saxon Shore command. While some historians mentioned Saxons and Franks attacking Gaul, the main attackers in Britain were the Picts, Scots, and Attacotti.
The Forts and Their Defenders
A very old Roman document from the 5th century, called the Notitia Dignitatum, lists the names of the Saxon Shore forts. These forts stretched from Norfolk to Hampshire in Britain. They were all under the Count's command. It's likely that other forts further up the North Sea coast were also his responsibility.
The soldiers under the Count's command were called limitanei. These were frontier troops, meaning they were stationed along the borders to defend against attacks.
The End of an Era
Around 401 AD, many of these soldiers were taken away from Britain. They were needed to defend Italy from attacks. This left Britain much more open to invasions. According to old Anglo-Saxon stories, one of these forts, called 'Anderida', was attacked by Saxons in 491 AD. The Roman soldiers and people living there were killed.
