In any debate on Newport's connection with the Romans and any analysis of the many theories that have been propounded, it has to be said that such connection is tenuous indeed.
One has only to talk to any native resident of the city, under the age of 40, to note the widely held impression that the Romans were the founding fathers, almost 2000 years ago, of this now thriving Uskside community. It just shows how successful was the 'spin' in the long run-up to the achievement of city status!
So what is the truth or, to be exact, the likelihood?
Once all the myth and legend is stripped away, one finds that little or nothing is recorded of what the first invading Romans found in the area of south east Wales known today as Gwent, or to many diehards still as Monmouthshire.
Hundreds of years before the Romans arrived, another huge influx of humanity from Europe had occupied Britain. By the time that BC had turned to AD, the Celts had split into dozens of individually named tribes, totally independent of each other and fiercely protective of their own territories.
Those who settled in Gwent and South Glamorgan - Gwynllwg and Morgannwg being early but not exclusive, precursive translations - were known as the Silures. They were pretty thick on the ground but although the precise sites of their many camps remain unspecified, their capital and seat of many generations of their kings of Gwent is known to have been Caerwent. This busy Silurian market town was probably the largest town in Gwent.
When the Roman legions first crossed the River Severn to land near Caerwent, they faced years of violent resistance from the Silures who gave no quarter in battle. Finally, however, the superbly armed, strictly disciplined invaders began to wear down the native tribes until their acts of harassment lapsed into complete submission.
The Romans were not always cruel oppressors - provided that the vanquished played by their rules! Once satisfied that a beaten foe was willing to give no more trouble, the plan very often was to allow a strictly regulated degree of autonomy to return to the community. This suited both sides very well.
The Silurian chiefs resumed their seats of government, now backed by the power of Rome, and their followers began to lead well ordered lives and to gain unprecedented knowledge and education. The centuries old warring amongst the tribes was no more and all became the beneficiaries of a brilliant legal system.
On the other hand, the Romans were released from the tying-up of huge resources of manpower acting as nothing more than jailers. Cheap labour was plentiful, trade prospered and advanced husbandry caused famine less likely to occur. Conqueror and conquered settled down together and, with the passage of time, intermarriage caused a new breed of Romano-Briton to emerge.
By AD 78 Caerwent (Venta Silurum) was the major township of Gwent and the seat of all Roman administration for Southeast Wales. A road was driven straight through, 9 miles, to the banks of the River Usk. What the first Romans found there is anybody's guess!
Ancient legend, through the medium of that teller of tall tales, Geoffrey of Monmouth, and other visionaries, would have us believe that this was once the site of a much older civilisation which existed in a wondrous city, a place of culture and wisdom, wielding influence over a large part of southern Britain. In the years leading up to 2002, members of the Borough Council, as it then was, made statements that implied that they accepted this myth as reality. Such was the desperation of the efforts made to bolster the town's lacklustre history!
The probability is that Caerleon was previously the site of one of the larger Silurian encampments, taking advantage of the ideal position, easy to defend, free from serious flooding, with fertile soil, an inexhaustible supply of fresh water, fish and game - not to mention useful access to the sea!
From a military point of view the choice as a legionary fortress - one of the only 3 in Britain - could not have been bettered, dominating as it did the road that was being driven to the west (the Via Julia Maritima) and controlling much of the traffic entering and leaving South Wales. So Caerleon (Isca Silurum) became firmly established on the River Usk, home and major port to the 2nd Legion Augusta for almost the next 4 centuries.
Stretching south from Caerleon to the mouth of the Usk was some of the most inhospitable territory in Britain. It was flat, low-lying, treacherous marshland, constantly inundated by the huge Severn tides! The Romans obviously had no regard for it and, from today's evidence, never ventured to populate it or build anything on it!
Within this forbidding area was the site upon which one day Newport was to stand! It was ignored as the Roman route to the west, the Romans preferring to take the higher ground through Malpas and Bassaleg to their new fortress at Cardiff.
So, Newport was non-existent while the Romans reigned and for centuries afterwards. The oldest remains within the original town boundaries are Norman whilst those more recently acquired by the stroke of a 20th century, parliamentary pen in the new suburb of Caerleon are wholly Roman! Undeniably, they now belong to Newport, and a valuable tourist asset they are proving to be, but they are not, and never have been, part of the city's ancient heritage!
Haydn Davis - Undy - August 2007
Author of The History of the Borough of Newport
Scott Coombes from New Inn, Pontypool, adds his thoughts:
For a start Newport did not exist when Caerleon was Isca Silurum - therefore, it is self explanitary that they never went there.
This guy seems to imply that the remains in Caerleon are just on the outskirts of the city and, as long as they bring in tourism, then he will tolerate them as part of the city.
If it were not for the Romans building the base for the Second Augustan Legion on this site, and the knock on effect that this has had over the centuries, then it is clear that Newport may never have been built.
There seems to be a certain amount of snobery in Newport that they feel they are too good for the remains at Caerleon.
But look at the facts - Newport has a castle,docks and a cathedral as do many other cities in the UK, whereas Caerleon has THE ONLY fully excavated Roman Amphitheatre in the UK, THE ONLY excavated barrack blocks of a Roman Legionary Fortress in Europe.
It is exceptional in Roman archeological terms. Caerleon is by far and away the most important Roman Military site in Europe!
So I can't help but feel that the people who take the same opinion as Mr Davis are aware that Newport is overshadowed by Caerleon, but we don't hear these people complain when the tills ring to the sound of tourism.
Maybe Caerleon should be incorporated into Torfaen,then these people would have nothing to complain about, then they could keep their two hundred or so years of history, and us appreciative people of Roman history in Torfaen could be proud of our two thousand year history ... not just moan about it!
More about Caerleon's Roman heritageScenes of a Roman Spectacular
Haydn Davis disputes the idea that the Romans were the founding fathers of Newport.
