JULIUS CEASAR'S FIRST VISIT
Julius Caesar landed in Britain, probably near Deal in Kent, with a force of 10,000 men
in 55 BC to punish the British Celts for aiding the Gauls with whom they shared their
religion and Celtic kindred. The Romans returned to Gaul, a decisive victory having been
prevented by Caesar's lack of cavalry, it being too late in the year for a sustained
campaign, and much of the Roman fleet being destroyed by a storm.
JULIUS CEASAR'S SECOND ATTEMPT
Julius Caesar followed up his unsuccessful attempt to invade Britain the previous year with
a huge expedition in 54BC. His forces comprised 20,000 men, 2,000 cavalry and 800 ships.
Because of the size of his force, the landing was unopposed.
Cassivelaunus, the king of the Catuvellauni, attempted to unite all the British tribes
into opposing the Roman incursion. Caesar's victory near Verulamium (modern St. Albans)
and the opposition of the Trinobantes caused the submission of Cassivelaunus and the
nominal submission of all the British tribes.
JULIUS CEASAR UNTIL 43 AD
Caesar's attempts of 55 and 54 BC did not ensure the permanent of Britain by the Romans and,
for almost 100 years, Rome was otherwise pre-occupied dealing with a rising of the Gauls
against Caesar, civil wars in Rome and the necessity of protecting the eastern and
northern frontiers of the empire against the barbarians.
THE ROMAN CONQUEST OF BRITAIN (43 AD)
On the death of Cunobelinus, the king of the Trinobantes, his son and heir Caratacus
renounced his father's friendship with Rome and the Emperor Claudius ordered the invasion
of Britain led by Aulus Lautius.
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Cunobelinus was the Cymbeline
of Shakespeare.
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In Welsh he is known as Caradog
; hence Caratacus
not Caractacus.
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Lautius captured the stronghold of Caratacus at Camulodunum (modern Colchester in Essex)
and thus obtained the submission of the greater part of Britain - most of the territory
which lay south of the line from the Humber to the Mersey. It would take the Romans
another thirty years to subdue England and Wales (though they never conquered Scotland)
and subject it to the Pax Romana which prevailed until the departure of the
Roman legions from the British Isles at the beggining of the 5th century. If the conquest
was long and difficult because of the valiant resistance of the Celts and the mountainous
regions of England and Wales, the Romans were aided to a considerable extent by the refusal
of the Celtic tribes to oppose the invaders in unison.
THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN
The Roman occupation of Britain, a province on the very ege of the empire, was primarily
military and this was particularly true of Wales and Northern England on the very fringes
and subject to danger of attack or revolt. It is probable that the stubborn resistance
of the Roman-British to the would-be Anglo-Saxon invaders after the departure of the
Roman presence in the early 5th century was due to their retention of at least part of the
Roman military system.
Only four 'coloniae', Colchester, Gloucester,
Lincoln and York and one
'municipium' were established by the Romans in Britain was Verulamium (St.
Albans).
Julius Agricola
(AD 78-85)
Agricola built many towns as well as military forts. The wealthy Britons were attracted to
the luxuries of life available in the Roman towns and Agricola did much to introduce
the Roman language and learning and to improve agriculture.
Although the lot of the poorest members of society was undoubtedly hard but probably
little changed by the new rulers at the top of society, under Agricola there were fair
assessments of tribute and the corn tax and the Britons became reconciled to the Roman
occupation.
The Emperor Domitian recalled Agricola not only because of danger from the Danube, but
also because his aggresive governorship of Britian was disapproved of in Rome.
Chronological Summary of the Occupation
THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN
Agriculture
The Romans developed agriculture in Britain and these islands became the granary of the
western Empire.
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The Britons had traded corn with the
Greeks for many centuries before the Roman
conquest and with the Phoenicians many centuries
before the arrival of the Greeks.
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Much wildwood was cleared for its timber freeing up the land for
agriculture and marshes were drained allowing their fertile soils to be utilised.
Although there was a large increase in the urban population during the Roman occupation
most of the British population continued to live in villages as they had done before the
conquest. The Romans also introduced
villae - Roman estates.
The Romans introduced
ground elder into the British Isles.
THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN
Civilisation
The Romans introduced Latin language and culture into the British Isles and their more
advanced civilisation. Roman-built towns appeared amongst the Celtic villages and
attracted the welthier Celts.
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The Latin castra, colonia, portus and strata have remained in British place-names;
Doncaster, Lincoln, Portsmouth and Stratford.
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The British Isles were brought into closer contact with continental Europe and there was a
large increase in trade with Europe.
THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN
Industry
Lead was mined in Derbyshire and elsewhere, tin was mined in Cornwall (where the industry was established in the Early Bronze Age) and iron was
produced in the Weald.
It is thought that the Romans brought the watermill
to the British Isles although these flourished under the
Saxons so that there were some 6,000
watermills in England by the time of the
Domesday Book (1086).
THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN
The Roman Roads
The occupation of the Roman provinces was essentialy military and the Pax Romana
was delivered by the well-organised and efficient legions of the imperium. The Roman
roads were built to move soldiers and equipment rapidly to where they were needed and
were thus straight, most radiating out from Londinium which provided the Romans with a
convenient centre for administration close to the continent.
Chief amongst the Roman Roads in the British Isles were Watling Street from
Dover, through London, St Albans, Viroconium and on to Chester; Ermine Street from
London, through
Lincoln, Aldborough and Carlisle to Newcastle in
recent times to become
'The Great North Road'; and The
Foss Way from Exeter to Lincoln.
So well did the Romans engineer these highways that many were in use for many centuries
after their builders' departure from Britain.
THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN
RELIGION
Christianity
There is very little definate information on the introduction of Christianity and only
a few relics such as a Christian church at Silchester but was probably introduced by
Roman soldiers arriving from Gaul.
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Christianity spread through the 2nd century and became the predominant religion in
Britain during the 3rd century despite the persecution of Diocletian.
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During the Diocletian persecution, a Christian Roman soldier, Albanus, suffered
martyrdom at St Albans in AD 304 giving the town its name.
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Christian bishoprics were established at London and York.
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The Pelagian Heresy which denied the doctrine of original sin was founded by Pelagius, a
Briton.
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Mythraic Worship
There is much evidence in the British Isles of Mythraic worship - sun-worship originating
in the Orient.
Roman Paganism
Roman Paganism was based to a large extent on the deities of Ancient Greece.
Druidism
Suetonius Paulinus (AD 59-75) conquered Mona (modern Anglesea) which
was the centre of the Druids,
the religious leaders of the Britons and destroyed their
sacred groves. The Romans probably saw crushing the religion of the Britons as one of the
means of assisting in their subjugation.
THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN
SCOTLAND
Some territory to the north of Agricola's forts stretching between the Clyde and Forth
was occupied for a short period but after AD 180 Hadrian's Wall from
Wallsend to Bowness became the northern boundary of the Empire.
THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN
Towns
The Celtic British had lived in villages scattered throughout the country before the
arrival of the Romans who built a considerable number of towns the luxury of which, in
turn, attracted the wealthier Brtons to town life.
The towns contained the buildings which could be expected to be found in any Roman town on
mainland Europe with temples, public baths, stadia and military barracks as well as domestic
dwellings.
THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN
Trade
The Roman occupation caused much closer contact between the British Isles and Continental
Europe and a large increase in trade. Although the Celts had traded corn and Tin for
many hunreds of years before the arrival of the Romans, first with the Phoenicians and
later with the Greeks, the Romans imported the luxury goods they had become used to on
the continent and exported goods for profit.
London, offering easy access to and from Europe to the necessary shipping and being the
hub of the system of Roman roads became a commercial centre.
THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN
WALES
Wales was never thoroughly conquered and remained Celtic unlike Gaul which was Romanised.
There are very few Roman remains in Wales and the Welsh language was only slightly
affected by the Latin language of the Romans.
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see also
Bronze Age Britain
Roman Britain
The Libyan-born Roman Emperor Septimus Severinus came to Britian with his family to quell a rebellion in the north. He took ill and died at York in 211AD. African legionaires would have formed part of the Roman forces manning Hadrian's Wall at the time.
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