Great Conspiracy

The Great Conspiracy
Part of the Roman occupation of Britain
Northern Roman Britain, c. 350–400 AD.
Date 367–368 Location Roman Britain Result Roman victory
Belligerents
Roman Empire	Picts Scotti Attacotti Saxons Franks Roman deserters
Commanders and leaders
Nectaridus † Fullofaudes Severus Jovinus Count Theodosius	Valentinus and others

The Great Conspiracy was a year-long state of war and disorder that occurred in Roman Britain near the end of the Roman occupation of the island. The historian Ammianus Marcellinus described it as a barbarica conspiratio that capitalized on a depleted military force in the province brought about by Magnentius' losses at the Battle of Mursa Major after his unsuccessful bid to become emperor.

It is difficult to ascertain the exact chronology of the events because the main source—Ammianus—was living in Antioch at that time; thus his information looks second-hand and confused and, in addition, inconsistent with that produced by other sources. As a consequence there are several different views of what happened.

In the winter of 367, the Roman garrison on Hadrian's Wall rebelled, and allowed Picts from Caledonia to enter Britannia. Simultaneously, Attacotti, the Scotti from Hibernia, and Saxons from Germania landed in what might have been coordinated and pre-arranged waves on the island's mid-western and southeastern borders, respectively. Franks and Saxons also landed in northern Gaul.

These warbands managed to overwhelm nearly all of the loyal Roman outposts and settlements. The entire western and northern areas of Britannia were overwhelmed, the cities sacked and the civilian Romano-British murdered, raped, or enslaved.

Nectaridus, the comes maritime tractus (commanding general of the seacoast region), was killed and the Dux Britanniarum, Fullofaudes, was either besieged or captured and the remaining loyal army units stayed garrisoned inside southeastern cities.

The miles areani or local Roman agents that provided intelligence on barbarian movements seem to have betrayed their paymasters for bribes, making the attacks completely unexpected. Deserting soldiers and escaped slaves roamed the countryside and turned to robbery to support themselves. Although the chaos was widespread and initially concerted, the aims of the rebels were simply personal enrichment and they worked as small bands rather than larger armies.

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