‘I will give you nations as your heritage’ (Psalm 2:8)
‘I will give you nations as your heritage’ (Psalm 2:8)
Trade, Culture and Empire in the Early Centuries
Scotland’s first appearance in the historical record comes through its international trading links, and is seen initially through the eyes of those who write about it: traders, and then Roman writers in the context of Roman invasion and imperial administration. This chapter stresses the ambiguities of the experience of Empire among native societies of Scotland, negotiating ‘between fear and desire’. We therefore cannot present this period as a straightforward conflict between ‘Celt’ and ‘Roman’. The various processes of ‘Romanisation’ (or acquisition of romanitas) by native societies are discussed, not merely in terms of the ebb and flow of colonial reach, but in terms of the active agency of native communities in taking what they wanted from the repertoire of romanitas – which in itself was a soup of very varied cultural practices from all over the Empire (including, ultimately, Christianity). The motives and perceptions of all participants in this process are examined critically.
Keywords: ethnic fallacy, Roman empire, Celtic identitites, inventing the Picts, cultural change, Christianity, Romanitas
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