Isca Augusta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Isca Augusta |
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| Caerllion (Welsh) | |
| Newport, Wales | |
Caerleon amphitheatre
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 Isca Augusta
Location in Wales Newport
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| Coordinates | 51°36′37″N 2°57′32″W / 51.6103°N 2.9589°W |
| Grid reference | ST336909 |
Isca, also known as Isca Augusta, was an important Roman army base and town. Its remains are now hidden beneath parts of Caerleon in Newport, South Wales. This site includes the famous Caerleon Amphitheatre and is looked after by Cadw.
Isca was the main base for the Roman army's "II Augusta" (Second Augustan Legion). This legion helped invade Britain in 43 AD. Isca is very important for learning about how the Romans conquered and settled Britannia (Roman Britain). It was one of only three permanent legionary fortresses in Roman Britain. Unlike the others in Chester and York, much of Isca's remains are still untouched. This gives us a special chance to study the Roman legions in Britain.
Archaeologists are still finding new things here. In recent years, they found a group of very large buildings outside the fortress. These were between the River Usk and the amphitheatre. This new area of the canabae (a civilian settlement outside the fort) was not known before.
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What's in a Name?
The name Isca comes from an old Brythonic word meaning "water." It refers to the nearby River Usk. The name Augusta was an honorary title given to the legion based there. People often call it Isca Silurum to tell it apart from another Roman town, Isca Dumnoniorum. It was also in the land of the Silures tribe. However, there is no proof that Romans actually used the name Isca Silurum.
The later name, Caerleon, comes from the Welsh words for "fortress of the legion."
Building the Fortress
Isca was built in 74 or 75 AD. This was during the last battles led by Governor Sextus Julius Frontinus. He was fighting against the fierce native tribes of western Britain. The Silures in South Wales had fought against the Romans for over 25 years.
Isca became the main base for the Legion II Augusta. The fortress was shaped like a "playing-card." It was first built with an earth bank and a wooden fence called a palisade. It stayed their main base until at least 300 AD. Inside, it had all the usual army buildings. These included a headquarters, the commander's house, officers' houses, a hospital, a large bath house, and workshops. There were also barracks for soldiers and granaries for food. Unusually, it also had a large amphitheatre.
At this time, there were four legions in Britain. The Roman Empire had about 30 legions in total. This made Britain one of the most heavily militarized provinces. This was because it was a frontier area with hostile neighbors. Each legion had over 5,000 highly trained soldiers. These professional soldiers joined the army for at least 20 years. Legionaries were the backbone of the Roman army. They were the ones who conquered and built the Roman Empire. They brought new ideas and traditions that changed Britain forever.
Around 99 or 100 AD, the fortress walls were made stronger. The original earth and timber walls were covered with stone. This new wall was about 5 to 5.5 feet thick. It had a clay bank behind it and a single ditch in front.
By 120 AD, parts of the legion were needed in other areas of Britain. Isca became more of a military base than a full-time army camp. However, it is believed that some soldiers from each cohort (a group of soldiers) stayed at the fortress. When Septimius Severus became emperor in the 190s, he had Isca repaired. The legion returned to rebuild after losing many soldiers in battles on the European continent.
More repairs happened under Emperor Caracalla. The southwest gate was rebuilt, the amphitheatre was updated, and barrack roofs were fixed. The legion might have left to fight for one of the many emperors in the late 200s AD. Even though most of the fort was empty, a small group of soldiers likely kept the buildings in good shape. There was new building work as late as the 270s. The main army buildings were probably torn down by leaders like Carausius or Allectus. They needed the legion to fight off a possible invasion from Europe. The stone from Isca might have been used to build defenses on the south coast of Britain.
There might have been a few soldiers here in the early 300s. But the fortress was probably taken over by people from the nearby town, or vicus. The main hall of the baths was even used as a place to keep cattle. Recent discoveries suggest that Romans were still living here in some way as late as 380 AD.
Early Christian Martyrs
An ancient writer named Gildas (and later Bede) wrote about two early Christian martyrs in Roman Caerleon. A martyr is someone who dies for their beliefs. This happened at the same time as Saint Alban, who was the first British martyr. He was killed in the Roman city of Verulamium (near modern-day St Albans).
Gildas wrote that God helped Britain by sending "bright lights of holy martyrs." He said their burial places would have inspired people if they hadn't been destroyed. He mentioned Saint Alban, and also Aaron and Julius, who were citizens of the "City of the Legions." This city is believed to be Caerleon. This is because two old chapels there were dedicated to these martyrs. They were probably killed in 304 AD. This was during a time when Christians were persecuted by Emperor Diocletian. However, these chapels might have been built because of Bede's writings. They cannot be proven to be older than a church in Chester, which is also next to an amphitheatre.
The Amphitheatre
Because of its round shape, the unexcavated amphitheatre was known locally as "King Arthur's Round Table." But there is no real link to King Arthur. In 1909, an early study showed that the structure could be fully excavated. A full excavation began in 1926, led by Victor Erle Nash-Williams.
This dig showed that the amphitheatre was built around 80 AD. This first building was destroyed by fire in the early 100s AD. A second building was put up around 138 AD. This one was destroyed about 60 years later, around 196 or 197 AD. It was rebuilt for the third and last time between 197 and 211 AD. This was during the time of emperors Severus and Caracalla. The third building stopped being used around the mid-300s. This was when the Caerleon fortress was emptied. The latest coin found here is from the time of Emperor Valens (364–378 AD).
The arena is oval-shaped and has eight entrances. It is thought that about six thousand people could watch events there. Besides the usual gladiatorial shows, it was probably used for parades, displays, and training by the soldiers.
Roman Harbour
In August 2011, the remains of a Roman harbour were found in Caerleon. This shows how important the River Usk was for trade and transport.
What Remains Today
Many well-preserved Roman remains of the fortress can be seen at Caerleon today.
Cadw looks after these important sites:
- The military amphitheatre, which is one of the most impressive in Britain.
- Part of the military bath house, with the Caerleon Roman Fortress and Baths museum built above it.
- The Prysg Field Barracks, which are the only Roman legionary barracks visible in Europe.
- The fortress wall, which still stands about 12 feet (3.7 m) high in some places.
Legion Museum
The National Roman Legion Museum is located in Caerleon. It is part of the National Museums and Galleries of Wales. The museum displays many items found during digs in the town. It also has finds from nearby Burrium (Usk). These include Roman currency, weapons, and parts of Roman uniforms.
See also
In Spanish: Isca Augusta para niños
