Group 21: Galloway

This group begins with a repeat of Camboglanna, Castlesteads; the Cosmographer had named this before the majority of names on Hadrian’s Wall and as he gives it a second time, it may have been especially prominent on his map source or perhaps straddles the symbol used to depict the wall. Uxella which follows is also in Ptolemy (as Ouxellon, Geography II.3,6) and is perhaps a so far unlocated fort near Ruberslaw (Strang 1997, 21). In this case the Smetri (for *Smerti ?) which occurs before this name probably refers to a fort close to the northern shore of the Solway Firth, between Castlesteads and Ruberslaw, perhaps Broomholm. Rivet and Smith (1979, 460) prefer to see this name as an error for Smertae, a tribe of north-western Scotland, but I have suggested that we should regard the Cosmographer’s separation of Scotland north of the Antonine Wall in the text as reflecting a reality on his map source, so we cannot accept their identification.

Lucotionis evidently the same as the corrupt <Λουκοπιβια> of Ptolemy (II.3,5; Rivet & Smith 1979, 390); it probably derives from an original *Leucouia and is almost certainly to be identified with the fortlet at Gatehouse of Fleet (Strang 1997, 21). Corda is the Κορδα of Ptolemy (II.3,6; Rivet & Smith 1979, 316), and may be identified with Crawford on the basis of the distances implied by the latter author (Strang 1997, 21). Rivet & Smith (1979, 317) argue that the correct form should be *Coria and that this is an instance of the Cosmographer or his source depending on the same source as Ptolemy, a Flavian map with individual Coriae for each tribe of the lowlands, this one belonging to the Selgovae. However, the unidentified name Cordonouis in the Vindolanda writing-tablets (39.2) demonstrates that Corda is a possible form. It therefore has no bearing on the ultimate source of the name.

The next two names are obscure, but the first is perhaps to be identified with Dalswinton on the road back to Glenmailen. As <Brigomono> has convincingly been equated by Rivet and Smith (1979, 447) with the Ρεριγονιον of Ptolemy (II.3,5) following Gale, quoted by Horsley (1732, 494), to be located in the vicinity of Stranraer, Praesidium may be an as yet unlocated fort in the valley of the River Cree. <Ebio> may be for the Επδιον ακρον of Ptolemy (II.3,1), written in the sea to the east of the Mull of Kintyre on the map and misread as the name of a place on the Ayrshire coast, in which case *Abissum could have lain near Girvan.