Between A.D. 286 and 296, the Gallo-Roman military commander Carausius and his successor Allectus ruled Roman Britain, forming a renegade government there that threatened the stability of the Roman Empire. Constantius Chlorus eventually suppressed this separatist regime, and his success paved the way for his son Constantine to use Britain as the base for his own bid for imperial recognition. Using literary, archaeological, and numismatic evidence, P.J. Casey brilliantly pieces together this little-known but extraordinary episode in the history of Roman Britain. Casey sets out the Continental and British background to the revolt, which he closely dates and, contrary to current published wisdom, locates initially in Gaul. He finds that Britain's independence was based on naval power—the first time that insular sea power played a major part in British history. He describes how Carausius and Allectus controlled the sea-lanes of the English Channel and the North Sea, maintaining what was probably the most effective naval force in the Roman world after serious naval warfare ceased in the reign of Augustus. He reviews the marine technology of the period and outlines the strategies of Roman coastal protection. He concludes by considering how Carausius was depicted by writers from the medieval period onward, in particular assessing the use of Carausius and Allectus as historical icons in periods of national crisis in British history.

Carausius and Allectus: The British Usurpers

History

Casey, P.J.

Ancient Civilizations

Yale University Press

Understanding ancient coins: An introduction for archaeologists and historians

B.T. Batsford

Under Carausius and his successor Allectus, Britain for a decade (AD 286-96) achieved an independence which threatened the stability of the Roman Empire. With coastal areas of Gaul also forming part of the separatist dominion, the crisis led to the creation of a second tier of imperial rulers. Constantius Chlorus was promoted to suppress the revolt and his success paved the way for his son Constantine - who was to use the province recovered by his father as the base for his own bid for imperial recognition. His success - and his adoption of Christianity as the state religion - was to shape the world in which we still live. This little known but extraordinary episode in the history of Roman Britain has been brilliantly pieced together by John Casey, through a painstaking - and at times detective-like - sifting of the literary, archaeological and numismatic evidence. The latter is as rich as it is complex and is presented with an irresistible mixture of enthusiasm and clarity. What emerges is that the independence of Britain was based upon navel power. These rulers controlled the sea lanes of the English Channel and North Sea in a way that no naval force had done since the time of Augustus. In the aftermath of defeat, the abolition of a unified naval command reduced the Roman response to seaborne raiders to a reactive stategy, rather than an aggressively campaigning one. In the long term this dramatic episode was to play a significant, if fluctuating, part in popular political mythology. In the centuries when insular debate was paramount, the revolt held its place in literary and historical discussion, with legendary accretions freely grafted on; interest waned during the eighteenth century - only to be rekindled in the present century, when a revival of Carausian studies coincided with a return to insularity and a redefinition of political horizons.

Carausius and Allectus: The British Usurpers (Roman Imperial Biographies)

Understanding Ancient Coins: An Introduction for Archaeologists and Historians

Arts & Photography

Univ of Oklahoma Pr

After Slavery: Emancipation and Its Discontents

This unique book records the experiences of Irish doctors who joined the British armed forces during World War I. It describes their journey from the relative calm of a pre-war medical career to the horrors of the battlefield. Over 240 Irish doctors lost their lives in the conflict, many with no known grave. The courageous and selfless actions of these doctors, while assisting their comrades under military fire, is explored in a comprehensive yet human account of the key battles and the medical care developed to deal with the aftermath of battle. Included in the book is the indispensable 'Directory of Irish Doctors,' which is compiled from available records and publications. Each profile contains the name, family details, and military record, including medals and honors awarded, where the information was available. This record, by its very nature and extent, is a fitting and lasting tribute to the Irish medical personnel who risked everything and sacrificed their lives. [Subject: Irish Studies, Military History, World War I, Medicine, Reference]

Irish Doctors in the First World War

Cullen, K.T.

Duignan, J.P.

Europe

Merrion Press

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Books by Casey, P.J.