BattlefieldsAgricola Destroys the Ordovices 77 AD
Roman Period

Agricola Destroys the Ordovices 77 AD

77
Gwynedd, Wales
Also known as: Ordovices near-extermination 77 AD · Agricola first action in Britain
Era
Roman Period
Battle Type
Pitched Battle
Location
Gwynedd, Wales
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Ordovices
Forces
Agricola in personal command
VS
Victor
Rome (Agricola)
Forces
Legionary vexillation and auxiliary cohorts assembled at short notice
Outcome
Ordovician fighting force near-destroyed; tribe ceased to exist as a military entity; Agricola reputation for swift decisive action established
The Battle

History & Significance

Tacitus is explicit: Agricola arrived in Britain late in the season of 77 AD to find the Ordovices had destroyed almost an entire cavalry ala. Rather than wait, he immediately gathered available forces and drove into Ordovician mountain territory. The result was near-extermination — prope universos — of the Ordovician fighting men, followed immediately by the reconquest of Anglesey. The speed and scale established Agricola authority across the province.

Casualties & Losses

Near-total destruction of the Ordovician fighting force per Tacitus

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Gwynedd

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Gwynedd