L. Artorius Castus at Avalon? Quite possibly.

 

Roman Fort of Aballava at Burgh-By-Sands

Not long ago I briefly discussed the possibility that L. Artorius Castus may well have visited, fought at or been involved in the rebuilding of some Hadrian Wall forts, including Camboglanna:

https://mistshadows.blogspot.com/2025/02/camboglanna-roman-fort-and-l-artorius.html

I've only just finished reading yet another book on Severus, this one by Birley.  In this volume, the author comments on the likelihood that Severus had actually stayed at Burgh-By-Sands, i.e. Aballava Roman fort.  This fort name is found in variants Avalava, Avalana, etc., and I have long held thatthis place with its Dea Latis or Lake Goddess may be the historical prototype of the Arthurian Apple Otherworld.

If Severus was at "Avalon", might Artorius have been there at some point, in some capacity, as well?

From Anthony Birley's SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS: THE AFRICAN EMPEROR, Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2002:

Considering how superstitious Septimius was, his belief that his days

were now numbered was presumably strengthened by a series of omens. In

the version now preserved, Dio only has one of these, which occurred

shortly before the departure from Rome in 208. Lightning struck an

inscription on the gate through which Septimius planned to march out of

the city, erasing the first three letters of his name. The remaining three

formed the Greek word (h) ero. This was interpreted to mean that after

three years he would die, and be deified. The HA, in its perverse fashion,

after neglecting to give any details about the campaigning, records four

omens that may be assigned to the end of the year 209, if they are not the

product of the author’s own imagination. The first purports to be a dream

that Septimius had about his own deification. The second apparently took

place at games in honour of the victory in the north. They will have taken

place at the main base, perhaps Carpow. Three plaster figures of the

goddess Victory were set up, one each for Septimius and his sons. The

central one, bearing a globe inscribed with his name, was struck by a gust of

wind, and fell down from the podium. The one honouring Geta was blown

over and totally shattered, while Antoninus’ Victory lost its palm and barely

remained upright.

The third and fourth omens, which seem part of the same story, belong

to Septimius’ journey southward to winter-quarters. The beginning of this

passage is difficult to translate and is perhaps corrupt. It has been variously

emended, but can be understood perfectly well as it stands, in the light of

evidence from Britain.

After giving a Moor his discharge from the army, on the Wall (apud

vallum) [this would be something quite normal at the end of a

campaign] when he returned to the nearest mansio [halting-place],

not merely as victor but having established eternal peace, and

turning over in his mind what sort of man should meet him [or ‘what

omen he should meet with’] a certain ‘Ethiopian’ (black man) from

the military numerus, with a wide reputation as a buffoon, and

always noted for his jokes, met him with a garland made from

cypress-boughs. When ordered that the man should be removed

from his presence, in a rage, being upset by the man’s colour and the

ill-omened nature of his garland, the man is said to have called out,

as a joke: ‘You have overthrown all things, conquered all things,

now be a conquering god!’ When he reached the town and wanted

to make sacrifice, by a mistake on the part of the rustic soothsayer, in

the first place he was taken to the temple of Bellona, and then the

sacrificial victims that were provided were black. Then, when he had

abandoned the sacrifice in disgust, and had withdrawn to the Palace,

through the attendants’ carelessness the black victims followed him

right up to its doors.

The story could be easily rejected as a feeble concoction. But curiously

enough, at the fort of Aballava (Burgh-by-stands), west of Luguvalium

(Carlisle) on Hadrian’s Wall, the garrison in the third century included a

numerus Maurorum, a unit of Moors, which could well have had black

soldiers in its ranks. That Septimius should have used Aballava as a mansio

is perfectly plausible. The fort guarded two important fords across the

Solway and the marching-camp at Kirkpatrick shows that the western route

was used at this time by the army. As for the shrine of Bellona, a dedication

to the goddess has been found at the fort of Maglona (Old Carlisle) some

ten miles away. The town may have been Luguvalium itself, although

Eboracum might seem likelier, in view of the mention of a ‘Palace’.24

The HA’s anecdote, feeble or not, has the merit of locating Septimius

apud vallum.