Romans: a brief history
Roman power had grown steadily over the centuries, until by the time of Christ Rome ruled over an empire that stretched north, east and south of its Mediterranean centre. Britain became the westernmost province in this vast empire.
The Romans’ great strengths were organisational and military. They brought urban life, roads, permanent military garrisons, centralised government, taxation, their language – Latin, and later Christianity to all the lands they conquered.
The Romans have left us a rich variety of written and archaeological sources about their lives: Julius Caesar, Tacitus and others wrote extensively, presenting us with the Roman version of events; and archaeological sources include roads, coins, jewellery, gravestones, statues, the ruins of baths, villas, forts, palaces and the magnificent Hadrian’s Wall.
See The Magic History of Roman Britain, and all the web-links provided
Key events to highlight
Julius Caesar’s two brief visits, 55 and 54 BC.
See Roman army; Caesar lands; and Celtic Britain: the land the Romans conquered
Invasion and settlement, 43 AD. Claudius, elephants, province of Britannia established, building of roads, towns, forts. See Maps, place names and Roman settlement, Questioning: Roman Britain, and Story-telling: Romans attack Maiden Castle
It’s worth examining the Roman army machine, and the role of legionaries in building forts and roads.
The attack on the Druids’ stronghold on Anglesey.
Boudicca’s rebellion. This makes a good case study of relations between invaders and invaded Boudicca
The building of Hadrian’s wall, 122 AD (see The Magic History of Roman Britain, vol 3 Pax Romana.
Roman Britannia: The new rulers brought central government, coinage, towns, baths, circuses, gladiators, taxes, roads and country villas. See [Link to Roman shopping and Roman baths, and Building a Roman road Many Britons became Romanised and urbanised: they wore togas, learnt Latin, built town houses and villas. For others, particularly small rural farmers, the pattern of life probably did not change much, apart from the obligation to pay taxes to their Roman rulers.
The beginning of the end: During the 3rd and 4th centuries AD the province of Britannia was under threat of invasion by Hibernians (Irish), Caledonians and Picts (Scots) and pirates and raiders from northern Europe. The Romans’ answer was to build a series of forts around the south and east coasts of Britannia, known as the Forts of the Saxon Shore. For a while they kept the attackers from across the North Sea at bay. Attacks on the whole Roman Empire increased, until finally in 410 AD the Roman army was withdrawn from Britannia and the Britons were left to fend for themselves.
Remember that although the Roman army was recalled in 410 AD, the Romans themselves did not all leave. Examples of those who stayed were retired legionaries and government employees who had settled in Britain, had married Celtic women, or had nothing to go back to in their countries of origin.