Count of the Saxon Shore
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The Count of the Saxon Shore or comes litoris Saxonici was a military command of the later Roman Empire.
The post was possibly created during the reign of Constantine I and was probably extant by AD 367 when Nectaridus is elliptically referred to as one by Ammianus. His remit covered the southern and eastern coasts of Roman Britain during a period of increasing maritime raids from barbarian tribes outside the empire. The Count was one of three commands covering Britain at the time, along with the northern Dux Britanniarum and central Comes Britanniarum.
Originally, the command may have covered both sides of the English Channel as well as Britain's western coast, as Carausius had done but by the end of the fourth century the role had been diminished and Gaul had its own dux tractus Amoricani and dux Belgicae Secundae.
In 367, a series of invasions from Picts, Franks, Saxons, Scots and Attacotti appears to have defeated the army of Britain and resulted in the death of Nectaridus. Under Count Theodosius' reforms, the command was reorganised slightly.
The fifth century Notitia Dignitatum lists the names of the Saxon Shore Forts from Norfolk to Hampshire that were under the Count's command. Further stations up the North sea coast were probably also his responsibility. Forces he controlled were classified as limitanei, or frontier troops. In 401 many of his soldiers appear to have been withdrawn for the defence of Italy, likely rendering Britain much more vulnerable to attack.
