Level 3 - Life in Roman Sussex

The Military

The Army in Sussex

The military activity of the conquest period in Sussex has already been discussed (See 'Invasion & Consolidation'). Following the removal of the army after Vespasian's campaigns, there appears to have been no large-scale military presence in Sussex until the late 3rd century AD, when the substantial fort at Pevensey (Anderida) was built.

Pevensey was one of ten massive forts that stretched around the south-east coast of Britain from the Solent to the Wash, known as the Saxon-Shore Forts. Together with similar establishments on the other side of the channel, they formed an impressive defensive barrier, although there is some debate over their purpose. Dating of foundation timbers by dendrochronology at Pevensey has shown that the fort was built during the reigns of the usurping emperors Carausius and Allectus (AD 286-96). As seven of the other forts are known to have been built at around the same time, it seems probable that their original function was to defend the south coast against the legitimate emperor, Maximian. After Britain had re-joined the Empire at the end of the 3rd century AD, then the forts may have been used for protection against barbarian incursions - particulaly the Saxons.

Legionary gladius and reconstruction

A fortification the size of Pevensey, which covered over 8 acres and had walls around 3.5 metres thick and up to 9 metres high, must have contained a large garrison of troops. The army of the later empire was quite different from that of the invasion period, consisting as it did of permanent frontier forces (limitanei), reinforced when necessary by field armies of varying sizes (comitatus).

Pevensey must have contained a permanent force of limitanei, although its size indicates that it could easily have stationed field armies if necessary. The history of Pevensey in the later 4th and 5th century is uncertain, although it is mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum, which suggests that it was still garrisoned at this time.

The Naval Fleet

The Roman army in Britain was accompanied by a naval fleet, the classis Britannica, which was stationed at Boulogne in Gaul but had bases in south-east Britain, including Dover. It essentially performed a logistics role, transporting troops and provisions, as well as seemingly managing the iron industry in the Kent and Sussex Weald. The large iron-working site at Beauport Park in particular had massive quantities of tile bearing the classis Britannica stamp, and was therefore presumably closely associated with the fleet. The fate of the fleet during the late empire is uncertain, but it seems likely that it was broken down into smaller units that were attached to the limitanei in coastal forts such as Pevensey. Indeed, the Notita Dignitatum mentions the classis Anderetiana (fleet of Anderida), which presumably was originally based at Pevensey.