NO BADON OR CAMLAN FOR A DARK AGE ARTHUR: MY VIEW ON THE ACTIVITIES OF L. ARTORIUS CASTUS UNDER SEVERUS

RIB 1978. Altar dedicated to the Discipline of the Emperor(s)

Primary: a.d. 209-11 Severus, Caracalla, Geta; secondary: a.d. 212-17 Caracalla.

Castlesteads/Camboglanna

For years now, I've been valiantly trying to pinpoint the Camlan of a genuine sub-Roman Arthur.  During that period of time I've fluctuated wildly from one site to the other.  Pretty much always I eventually settled on either the Afon Gamlan in NW Wales (which fits the Welsh medieval tradition) or the Camboglanna Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall.

Well, given what Birley and some others have to say on the possible rebellion of the Brigantes and other tribes close to Hadrian's Wall in the time of Severus, I can no longer deny that the most likely significance of Camlan is, indeed, as a reference to the action of L. Artorius Castus.  This prefect of the Sixth, appointed doubtless as a result of the Albinus purge, might well have engaged in a battle at Castlesteads on the Wall.  While he didn't die there, of course, a Moderatus may have.  This Moderatus became Medraut in the Welsh tradition.

Arthur's death at Camlan would be partly fabricated anachronism made necessary when his name became attached to the battle of Badon (c. 516).  The real Arthur died in Dalmatia, modern Croatia, in the early part of the 3rd century A.D.

I can find no good reason to change my mind about this, unfortunately. 

From Anthony R. Birley's SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS: THE AFRICAN EMPEROR on the possible rebellion of the Brigantes under Severus:

First, urgent measures were taken in the north-west. Marius Maximus was

made governor of Belgica and Valerius Pudens of Lower Germany, replacing

Virius Lupus, who became governor of Britain. The defeated British legions

were sent back, no doubt heavily reinforced with new manpower, necessary

to restore losses—and their loyalty. Lupus faced an appalling situation. In the

absence of the Roman garrison, the northern part of the province had been

plundered by the Maeatae, probably joined by other tribes closer to Hadrian’s

Wall and some of the Brigantes within the province.

Dio reports how Lupus had to buy off the

Maeatae with ‘large sums of money’, receiving ‘a few prisoners back’ in

return. Clearly, in the absence of most of the British garrison in 196–7,

Rome’s northern enemies had invaded the province, and the Brigantes of

the Pennines had perhaps risen in rebellion. The Maeatae, whose home

was north of the Antonine Wall, were on the point of being joined by the

Caledonians, from the Highlands beyond, when Lupus arrived.