 It is quite clear that the Caledonians pose fierce resistance to Roman rule. This is exemplified by the fact that the Romans built two walls, 100 miles apart, to separate themselves from the fierce Northern tribes of Caledonia. Firstly, in 122 AD, the Emperor Hadrian instructed his troops to construct a wall that would separate Caledonia from Roman Britannia. This wall is located in the very north of modern-day England, just south of the Scottish border. A few decades later, in 140 AD, the Romans built a second wall, further north, to once again protect against Caledonian attacks. Antonin's wall was built between the River Clyde and the River Forth and frequently came under attack. Even though Antonin's wall is further north, it still indicates that the Romans never had a major foothold in a large part of Caledonia, as the wall was relatively central in relation to the landmass of ancient Scotland. The likelihood is that the Romans never managed to have any significant presence that far north in Caledonia. Furthermore, the Romans had to retreat from Antonin's wall only a few years after it was constructed. Under pressure from the native forces, the Romans were forced to abandon Antonin's wall in around 165 AD. The Romans threw their weapons down wells and buried them in pits, and part of the wall was buried itself, perhaps to help stop these tools and barriers being used by the Caledonians. The Romans retreated to Hadrian's wall, around 100 miles south. Then, in the 3rd century AD, there was a notable Roman push north in subsequent genocide under Emperor Septimius Severus and his sons. In 207 AD, Severus received a letter from the Roman governor in Britannia, Sinesio, that the northern tribes of Caledonia were revolting, and the Romans at risk of losing its foothold entirely. Using guerrilla warfare tactics, the natives had proved quite effective in fighting the Romans. The following year, Severus arrived with 50,000 men and 7,000 sailors, the largest Roman force ever to touch down on the British Isles. In 209 and 210 AD, the Emperor led the first north of Hadrian's wall to fight two alliances that had formed amongst the native groups a few decades prior. The first alliance consisted of the Caledonians to the north, with the second known as the Matei, who were based around Fife and on either side of Antony's wall. With 50,000 land troops, however, Severus' massive Roman force ripped through the land, eventually forcing the natives to agree a peace treaty. The peace was short-lived, however. Shortly after the First Rebellion, the people of ancient Scotland revolted again. Severus, who was stationed at York, ordered his men to commit genocide in response. The Emperor sent his sons north, with troops under the order of killing everyone, even the unborn in the womb. The resulting slaughter is thought to have decimated the lowland population for a century. In 211 AD, Severus died, and his sons headed straight back to Rome. After the death of Severus, the Romans dropped back to Hadrian's wall once again. In the subsequent decades, the Romans launched numerous campaigns into modern-day Scotland but never managed to conquer and hold vast lands north of Hadrian's wall. It is also in the 3rd century AD that we see the first reference to the Picts in the historical record. In 297 AD, a Roman writer spoke of the Picts in the Irish, meaning Scots, attacking Hadrian's wall. It is thought that the Picts are the descendants of the Caledonians. However, as the Pict high, meaning painted people, was also a name that the Romans gave to the northern people of modern-day Scotland. The Caledonians and the Picts may have essentially been the same people. Unfortunately, we don't know what these people called themselves. Rome's failed attempt to conquer all of modern-day Scotland came to a conclusive end in 410 AD. The reality is that Rome never managed to conquer Caledonia due to a fusion of various factors. If the Caledonians weren't so fierce and proud of their way of life, the weather wasn't so bad, the geography wasn't so hilly, the potential riches from conquest not so little. And if Rome wasn't engaged in other conflicts and numerous other corners of the empire, then Rome potentially could have conquered Caledonia, or at least progressed further into Caledonian territory. Yet, as it stands, they didn't. Which leaves me to simply say that the Roman Empire, despite its power, wealth and fame, never conquered the people of ancient Scotland.