Battlefields›Magnus Maximus Proclaimed Emperor and Departs Britain (383 AD)
Roman Period

Magnus Maximus Proclaimed Emperor and Departs Britain (383 AD)

383
West Riding, England
Era
Roman Period
Battle Type
Campaign
Location
West Riding, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Victor
Magnus Maximus
Outcome
Discontented Roman troops in Britain proclaimed Maximus emperor in place of Gratian; he crossed to Gaul taking at least part of the British garrison and senior administrators with him. He went on to defeat Gratian near Paris after five days of skirmishing, and Gratian was killed at Lyon on 25 August 383. Archaeological evidence (post-383 coins along Hadrian's Wall) suggests the British withdrawal was only partial or troops later returned.
The Battle

History & Significance

Magnus Maximus Proclaimed Emperor and Departs Britain (383 AD) was a campaign of the Roman Period period, fought in West Riding, England in 383. This engagement forms part of the broader pattern of conflict that shaped the political and military history of the UK during this era.

The ground

The ground they fought on

The site of Magnus Maximus Proclaimed Emperor and Departs Britain (383 AD) lies on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Magnus Maximus Proclaimed Emperor and Departs Britain (383 AD)

This page covers Magnus Maximus Proclaimed Emperor and Departs Britain (383 AD). A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Magnus Maximus Proclaimed Emperor and Departs Britain (383 AD) report
Or see a real report first
Protected heritage nearby

Scheduled Monuments near Magnus Maximus Proclaimed Emperor and Departs Britain (383 AD)

Medieval stone town house known as The Norman House to the rear of Nos 48 and 50 Stonegate
Medieval stone town house known as The Norman House to the rear of Nos 48 and 50 Stonegate
Scheduled monument · ~0 mi

The Norman House is a medieval stone townhouse located to the rear of Nos 48 and 50 Stonegate in York, Yorkshire, and represents a significant surviving example of twelfth-century domestic architecture in England. The building displays characteristic features of Norman-period construction, includ…

BZ4brbr / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
St Peter's Hospital, part of undercroft beneath the Theatre Royal
St Peter's Hospital, part of undercroft beneath the Theatre Royal
Scheduled monument · ~0.1 mi

St Peter's Hospital is a medieval hospital whose remains survive within the undercroft beneath the Theatre Royal in Yorkshire. The hospital dates to the medieval period and represents an important example of institutional charitable provision. The surviving fabric is now preserved as an archaeolo…

York Minster cathedral precinct: including Bootham Bar and the length of City Walls extending round the precinct up to Monk Bar
York Minster cathedral precinct: including Bootham Bar and the length of City Walls extending round the precinct up to Monk Bar
Scheduled monument · ~0.1 mi

York Minster cathedral precinct is a complex of ecclesiastical and defensive structures occupying the heart of medieval York in North Yorkshire, England. The precinct is bounded to the north and west by sections of the City Walls, which extend from Bootham Bar in the west to Monk Bar in the north…

Ertudu / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
St Mary's Abbey precinct walls
St Mary's Abbey precinct walls
Scheduled monument · ~0.2 mi

St Mary's Abbey precinct walls are the surviving stone boundaries of a major Benedictine monastery founded in York in 1088. The walls, constructed in stone and measuring substantial lengths, enclosed the monastic precinct and demonstrate the scale and permanence of this important religious establ…

mattbuck (category) / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
St Mary's Abbey
St Mary's Abbey
Scheduled monument · ~0.2 mi

St Mary's Abbey is a ruined Benedictine monastery located in York, founded in 1087 by William II's courtier Stephen of York. The abbey became one of the wealthiest and most influential religious houses in northern England, possessing extensive lands and significant temporal power throughout the m…

Kaly99 / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Merchant's Hall, Fossgate
Merchant's Hall, Fossgate
Scheduled monument · ~0.3 mi

Merchant's Hall, Fossgate is a late medieval timber-framed building situated in York's historic city centre. Dating from the fifteenth century, it represents a substantial urban merchant residence characteristic of York's prosperous wool and cloth trade period. The structure retains significant o…

Kaly99 / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons
South angle tower of Roman fortress
Scheduled monument · ~0.2 miles
Jewbury Medieval Jewish Cemetery
Scheduled monument · ~0.3 miles
More from this era

Other Roman Period Battles

Siege of Maiden Castle
43
Dorset, England
Vespasian's Campaign against the Durotriges
43
Dorset, England
Roman Assault on Maiden Castle (East Gate)
43
England
Roman Assault on Maiden Castle 43 AD
43
Dorset, England
In the same landscape

Battles near Magnus Maximus Proclaimed Emperor and Departs Britain (383 AD)

Anglian Assault on Roman York (c.450-500 AD)
450
~0 miles away
Sack of York (1069)
1069
~0.1 miles away
Viking capture of York (866)
866
~0.1 miles away
Viking Conquest of York (Jorvik)
866
~0.1 miles away
Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around West Riding

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the UK — 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 West RidingView a sample report
All Battlefields