Roman Fort Unearthed in Pembrokeshire May Confirm Legend of Emperor Magnus Maximus

Key facts

• Archaeologist Mark Merrony of the University of Oxford discovered a Roman fort in Pembrokeshire, Wales, in 2024 after spotting a Roman roofing slate while cycling.
• Excavations revealed the fort covered up to three hectares and could have housed around 500 soldiers.
• Finds include fourth-century coins, an iron stylus, a game piece, ceramic tile fragments, clay floor bases, a Roman road, a kiln, granary flooring, pottery shards, and a spindle whorl.
• Merrony attributes the fort's construction to Sextus Julius Frontinus, Roman governor of Britain, between 74 and 78 C.E.
• Magnus Maximus was proclaimed Western Roman emperor in 383 C.E. and executed in 388 C.E. after defeat by Theodosius I.
• The site is located at the easternmost peak of the Preseli Hills, matching a location mentioned in the Mabinogion tale 'The Dream of Macsen Wledig.'
• The Mabinogion is a collection of 11 medieval Welsh tales, and the legend of Macsen Wledig has endured for nearly 1,700 years.
• Geoffrey of Monmouth's 12th-century 'History of the Kings of Britain' fictionalized Maximus's life, linking him to Welsh princess Elen Luyddog.