Historic%20Yorkshire

Chapter XIII.
THE STORY OF YORK CASTLE.
ORK was originallya centre of the Brigantes,
one of the most ancient of the aboriginal
tribesof Northumbria. As were most ancient
■British towns,it was probably at first nothing
more than a collection of rude huts, surnded
by a trench and a rampart composed of
the trunks of the trees which had been cut down
to clear a place in the forest for the erection of the town.
Its name in the British tongue,as near as can be ascertained,
was Eburac, or Eborac, which is of Celtic
derivation, and means a town or fortified place on the
banks of a river, or near the confluence of waters. Its
situation at the union of the Ure and the Swale fully
corroborate this origin, while the same considerations
lead us to see how fitting the position wasfor all purposes
of fortification and defence. At the incursion of the
Romans, Eborac stillretained itssupremacyas avaluable
military position. In a.d. 79 it was converted into a
regularly garrisoned station by either Agricola or one of
his generals, during that general's second campaign,in
which the Brigantes were entirely subdued. Its name
was retained, but Latinisedinto Eburacumor Eboracum.
It quickly became the principal Roman station of the
North of Britain,and,as there is great evidence to prove,
of the whole country. The principal point of dispute
upon which antiquaries divide is the question as to
whether the recognised Romanclassification of Eboracum
was colonia or municipium. Upon the stationing of the
Sixth Legion of the Roman army in Britain,Eboracum
was made their headquarters by M. Pontius, who came
overat their head in the reign ofHadrian, in a.d. 116. It