BattlefieldsRoman Advance to Viroconium
Roman Period

Roman Advance to Viroconium

47
Shropshire, England
Also known as: Conquest of Wroxeter · Roman Capture of Viroconium Cornoviorum
Era
Roman Period
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Shropshire, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Cornovii
Forces
Cornovii c.2,000–4,000.
VS
Victor
Rome (Legio XIV Gemina)
Forces
Legio XIV Gemina c.5,000–7,000
Outcome
Roman advance to the Severn; Wroxeter established as major legionary base
The Battle

History & Significance

Viroconium Cornoviorum (Wroxeter) became the fourth-largest Roman city in Britain — evidence of the scale of the Roman military commitment to the Midlands. The Cornovii tribe of Shropshire appears to have accepted Roman authority, but the establishment of a major legionary base at Wroxeter (subsequently held by Legio XIV Gemina and later Legio XX) indicates the military importance of controlling the approach to Wales. Wroxeter's ruins are among the most extensive of any Roman town in England.

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