Hibernia

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Hibernia is the Classical Latin name for the island of Ireland.

[edit] Etymology

The island of Ireland was little known to the Romans. Their name for the island was taken from Greek geographical accounts, particularly Claudius Ptolemy's Geographia, where it appears as Ἰουερνία Iouernia. The spelling Hibernia was likely influenced by the unrelated Latin word hibernus meaning "wintry." Several variant forms of the name existed in Latin.

Iouernia was a Greek alteration of the Q-Celtic name *īweriū, stem *īwerion-, from which eventually arose the Modern Irish name Éire. The original meaning of the name is thought to be "land of abundance". Other Greek forms of the same name existed, e.g. Iernē (Ἰέρνη), the name given to Ireland by Pytheas of Massilia, a 4th c. BCE Greek merchant and explorer.

[edit] Hibernia in the historical record

The island of Ireland was never incorporated into the Roman Empire. It is commonly believed that the Romans or Romano-British neither invaded nor particularly influenced Ireland.

Irish tribal expeditions harried the Roman provinces of Britannia (Britain) and Gaul (France) as evidenced from surviving Roman texts.

But what is less certain is whether the Romans had a direct effect on Ireland. What few written records remain are brief but do suggest Roman interest in a military incursion into Ireland and little else.

In the early first century, Roman and Greek knowledge of Ireland was thin. The geographers Strabo and Pomponius Mela describe a cold land inhabited by savages who feast on the flesh of their dead fathers and perform incest with their mothers and sisters, where despite the cold, the grazing was so tasty and lush that cattle exploded if allowed to eat unchecked.

By the second century, the geographer Ptolemy gave coordinates for a surprisingly detailed map of Ireland, naming tribes, towns, rivers and headlands. This information could have come from a variety of sources, but does demonstrate the increasing knowledge and interest in Ireland.

Irish written history does not mention Rome at all. If Rome is referred to by some other name, no one has yet put a convincing case forward.

However, the lack of written history does not mean that Rome or the Roman province of Britannia did not significantly interact with Ireland.

[edit] Ireland and its neighbours

From early in the archaeological record, the peoples of North West Europe, including Britain, Gaul, Spain and Ireland had mutually warred, traded and settled.

Significant British settlement in the Southwest of Ireland occurred around year 1. Ptolemy, in 100s, records Irish tribal names identical to those of tribes in Gaul and Britain, suggesting significant settlement, particularly of the Brigantes and Belgae.

At this time Ireland, western and central Europe was home to several Celtic peoples, with their associated Celtic religion, supervised by the Druids. In Ireland and Britain, its peoples shared a broadly similar Celtic heritage. The Isle of Anglesey, Welsh Ynys Môn, was the centre of the Druidic religion, just across the Irish Sea from Ireland.

Transport and communication was often along rivers and coasts, with the Irish Sea being a part of this network. When Julius Caesar briefly invaded southern England in 54 BC, he received the submission of many tribes, including that of the Orcadians in the Orkney Islands, north of Scotland. Communications could be long distance, but whether any Irish knew of the Romans at this time is uncertain.

Rome often projected its power beyond its boundaries. Beyond the West coast of Britannia was the Irish Sea, with many easy crossings, and many distinctive mountain landmarks to ease navigation. The spread of Roman power to Ireland's neighbours would have had significant effects on Ireland.

By 51 BC French Gaul had been conquered by the Romans, with the permanent garrisoning of Britain starting after the second invasion in 43. England and Wales would remain within the Roman Empire for another 350 years.

Revolts by the newly subjugated British tribes may have increased settlement from Britain to Ireland and reduced settlement in the other direction. Events such as the destruction of the druidic shrine and sacred groves at Anglesey in 60 by the Roman general Suetonius Paulinus surely would have been noticed in Ireland.

[edit] Possible evidence of Roman visits

Generally in Ireland, Roman material is rare and found in different contexts from the native La Tene material. No roads have been identified as being Roman, and no large Roman settlements have been found. However in the southeast of Ireland, where native material is rare, Roman-style cemeteries and large quantities of Roman artifacts have been found.

A group of burials on Lambay Island, off the coast of County Dublin, contained Roman brooches and decorative metalware of a style also found in northern England from the late first century. However this could represent, for example, Brigantes fleeing reprisal from the crushed revolt of 74.

Tara, the midland ritual complex, Clogher, a northern hillfort, and Cashel, in the south have produced early and late Roman material, the first two having produced no native finds of contemporary age. The place name Cashel is thought to derive from the Latin castellum. All become capitals of new kingdoms and all believe that their origins derive from Britain. If these were British settlers whether they were supported by or fleeing from Roman influence is not known.

At Drumanagh, 25 km north of Dublin, a large (200,000 m²) site has recently been identified as possibly Roman. Consisting of a peninsula defended by three rows of parallel ditches on the landward side, the site appears to be a port or bridgehead. Access to the finds and the site has been prohibited for over 10 years due to a court case about ownership.

Other Roman influences can be seen such as the penannular brooch, used to fasten Irish cloaks from 4th-11th century, which derives from a style of Romano-British brooch, or the early medieval Irish sword which derived from the Roman Spatha and even the rapid adoption of Christianity.

Roman coins have been found at Newgrange, possibly offerings from early tourists. ^[1]

[edit] Invasion perhaps

Tuathal was, in the Irish myths, a High King of Ireland. He was the son of a High King Fiacha Finnfolaidh. His father was overthrown and killed in a revolt by the King of Ulster. Tuathal's mother, who was the daughter of the King of Alba (Britain at the time, because Alba became the name for Scotland later on), fled to Britain with her son. 20 years later he returned to Ireland, defeated his fathers enemies in a series of battles and subdued the entire country. He became High King at Tara, on the Irish East Coast. There he convened a conference where he established laws. He annexed territory from each of the other four provinces to create the central province of Míde (Meath). Four fortresses were built, one for each of the four areas of land.

Some consider him to be the first real High King. The dating of Irish history/mythology is prone to error; however, the most popular belief is that Tuathal was exiled in 56 and reigned from around 80 to 100.

Tacitus, the Roman author, tells us that around this time Agricola had with him an Irish chieftain who would return to conquer Ireland with an army. Juvenal later tells us that Roman arms were "taken beyond the shores of Ireland." Excavations at sites linked to the tale of Tuathal have produced Roman material of the late 1st or early 2nd centuries. Perhaps Tuathal was that Irish chieftain, and he carried out his Midlands conquest with Roman-trained troops, power and technology.

Everyone accepts that Julius Caesar 'invaded' Britain. Yet his army left few discoverable traces, stayed only a couple of years, and didn't incorporate Britain into the Roman Empire. It is only through the survival of Caesar's book, The Gallic War, that we know of the Roman invasion of Britain in 54 BC. (The successful invasion and incorporation into the Roman Empire occurred 100 years later).

The few other remaining texts from that period, combined with the archaeology, suggest that interaction between Romanised Britain and Ireland occurred. But without the miraculous discovery of a lost Roman text, or some dramatic archaeological finds, the details will remain debated.

[edit] Modern usage

Hibernia is a word that is rarely used today with regard to Ireland. It is occasionally used for names of organisations and various other things; for instance: Hibernia National Bank, Ancient Order of Hibernians, The Hibernian magazine, Hibernia College, Hibernian Football Club, HMS Hibernia, the Hibernia oil field, and modern derivatives, from Latin like Respublica Hibernica (Irish Republic) and Universitas Hiberniae Nationalis (National University of Ireland). The compound form Hiberno- remains more common, as in Hiberno-Norse, Hiberno-English, Hiberno-Scottish, Hibernophile etc.

One of the three realms in the MMORPG Dark Age of Camelot is named Hibernia, and Hibernia is also the name of a free MMORPG.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Carson, R.A.G. and O'Kelly, Claire: A catalogue of the Roman coins from Newgrange, Co. Meath and notes on the coins and related finds, pages 35-55. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, volume 77, section C

[edit] See also

• Ireland
• Hibernophilees:Hibernia

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