V is for Viroconium Cornoviorum
That’s quite a mouthful and in the third book of my Celtic Fervour Series of historical
romantic adventures - After Whorl:
Donning Double Cloaks - I’ve taken the liberty (a minor detour into 21st
century-isms which I couldn’t resist) of having my character, Ineda, refer to
it as Viro Corno.
Viroconium Cornoviorum
is the Roman name for the city which was later named Wroxeter. Claimed to be
the fourth largest Roman city in Britannia, it started as a Roman Garrison
fortress which in turn grew to become a thriving civilian town the central
operations area and tribal capital of the Cornovii. For centuries, it grew and
prospered. Remains of a forum and bath house complex can be visited, the site
having been identified as Roman during Victorian times and the site donated to
public use by the generous Victorian landowner.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Excavation_at_Uriconium_by_Francis_Bedford2.jpg?uselang=en-gb
The earliest occupation of the area, sited where the River
Severn emerges from the Welsh foothills, was probably around the late AD 50s, by
the Legio XIV who remained until AD 69 when the Legio XX took up occupation. The
fortress site was mainly concerned with maintaining the territories gained from
the Celtic tribes in Wales
who continued to be resistant to Roman domination during that time. Viroconium Cornoviorum was also strategically
placed to send out troops to control any unrest which arose in Brigante lands to
the north of Cornovii territory.
It was the monitoring role of the Legio XX which sparked my
imagination and gave me the impetus to have my Roman tribune, Gaius Livanus
Valerius, be stationed there for a while after he captures Ineda of Marske. It
is at Viroconium Cornoviorum that he
forces Ineda to become his personal slave.
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Ineda learns what it is like to live behind the fortress
walls – she has no option about that since she cannot escape from the five
thousand plus Roman legionary soldiers (like those reenactment ones above) and possibly half as many support staff
who ran the garrison fortress. Though in AD 73, when Ineda is captured, the fortress was a wooden construction, the earliest stonework fortress not created till the 2nd century.
For more information about Viroconium Cornoviorum these sites have useful information, though it's worth noting that they have some conflicting dates.
After Whorl: Donning Double Cloaks is available from:
Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/422379
Barnes and Noble P/B http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/after-whorl-nancy-jardine/1118872607?ean=9781909841574 Crooked Cat Books http://www.crookedcatbooks.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=128
Slainthe!
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