CALEDONIA, the name by which the por tion of Scotland north of the rivers Forth and Clyde first became known to the Romans. The year 80 of the Christian era is the period when Scotland first becomes known to history. The invasion of Cwsar did not immediately lead to the permanent occupation of southern Britain. It was only in the year 43 that the annexation of this portion of the island to the Roman ern Aire began. It was completed superficially about 78, and two years were occupied in recon ciling the natives to the Roman yoke. Agricola then moved northward, invading Scotland by the eastern route, and occupying the country up to the line of the Friths of Clyde and Forth. Agricola ran defensive works across this line, and hearing, in the third year of his occupation, rumors of an organized invasion in preparation by the Caledonians, a name applied to the dwellers north of the boundary, he resolved to anticipate them, and again advanced north. ward. The Roman army marched in three di visions. The weakest, consisting of the ninth legion, was attacked by the barbarians, who fought their way to the Roman camp. Agricola came to the rescue, and the Romans were vic torious. The Roman army now advanced to . Mons Grampius, where they found the enemy, 30,000 strong, under a chief named Galgacus. Agricola had to stretch his line as far as he deemed prudent to prevent being outflanked.
The auxiliaries and Romanized Britons were in the centre and front, the legions in the rear. The Caledonians are described as riding furi ously about in chariots between the two camps. Each chief (Roman and Caledonian) made a set speech to his followers; that of Galgacus was peculiarly eloquent. The Caledonians were armed with small shields, arrows and large pointless swords. Their chariots routed the Roman cavalry, but afterward became embar rassed in the broken ground; and when the Roman auxiliaries charged the masses of the enemy with the gladius, they gave way before a method of fighting to which they were un accustomed. The site of the battle remains undetermined. The name Caledonia is first used by Pliny, who, as well as Tacitus, is sup posed to have derived it from Agricola. The name is applied by Ptolemy to one of the numerous populations of North Britain. The use of the name by Tacitus gave it immediate popularity with the Romans and to the same source its subsequent popularity in Britain is to be traced. Caledonia as a name for Scotland has been much used by poets. Consult Smith, (Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography' ; Burton, (History of Scotland' ; Rhys, (Celtic Britain.'