The location of the battle of Mons Graupius
Around 80AD, the governor of the Roman province of Britannia, Agricola, attempted to conquer Caledonia. After subjugating the Celtic tribes of Wales and the Brigantes and other tribes to the north of Britannia, he turned his attention to Caledonia. The Caledonian tribes were based north of the Forth and the Clyde. The Roman historian Tacitus, who was the son in law of Agricola, provided an account of Agricola's campaigns in Caledonia. According to Tacitus, the Romans and Caledonians fought a major battle at a place called Mons Graupius. The battle was a decisive victory for the Romans. The Romans lost around 350 men and the Caledonians lost around 10,000 men. However, Tacitus may have greatly exaggerated the number of casualties. By the third year, Agricola had conquered the tribes as far north as the Firth of Tay. He also built forts at places like Ardoch, Strageath and Bertha. In the fourth year, he built forts between the Forth and the Clyde along the Antonine line. In the fift...