Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

%rt\i nttiUftw $minmfa THIRD SERIES, No. L.—APRIL, 1867. ON THE ALLEGED OCCUPATION OF IRELAND BY THE ROMANS. The July Number of the Archceologia Cambrensis contains a paper by Mr. Thos. Wright, " On the Intercourse of the Romans with Ireland," in which that gentleman appears to me to arrive at rather hasty conclusions on very slight premises. These conclusions are contained in the following passages: " But I think it can hardly be doubted that the Romans did invade, and, in their view of the case, subdue Ireland" (p. 298). Again: " I think we are quite justified in concluding that, subse¬ quent to Agricola's removal, his plans for the invasion of Ireland had been carried into execution, and success¬ fully" (ibid.). The subject is one of some importance in an historical point of view, and should not be ad¬ vanced on insufficient evidence. Supposition and con¬ jecture can no longer take the place of facts, or logical deductions from facts; and on such grounds I feel it my duty to examine into the authorities adduced by Mr. Wright in support of his conclusions as stated above; and this I desire to do, not in a spirit of cavil¬ ling criticism, but, in a spirit of anxious and candid inquiry, to elicit truth. I have no desire to deny the Romans the honour of having subdued Ireland, or their ability to do so if they had so determined; indeed, I believe it more than probable that the Romans and 3rd sek., vol. xm. 7