The Romans in Britain

Author: Ciuburciu (Mînecuță) Diana Adriana LMA-GE, An 1

History

Roman Britain, Latin Britannia, area of the island of Great Britain that was under Roman rule
from the conquest of Claudius in 43 CE to the withdrawal of imperial authority by Honorius in
410 CE.

The Roman conquest of northern Gaul brought

Britain into definite contact with the
Mediterranean. It was already closely connected
with Gaul, and, when Roman civilization and its
products invaded Gallia Belgica, they passed on
easily to Britain. British coins then began to bear
Latin legends, and, after Julius Caesar’s raids in
55 and 54 BCE, the Romans began to regard
Britain’s southern tribes as vassals. However,
these tribes do not seem to have regarded
themselves as such, and the direct imposition of
Roman rule was delayed. The emperor Augustus
planned it, but both he and his successor,
Tiberius, realized that the greater need was to
consolidate the existing empire and absorb the
vast additions recently made to it by Pompey,
Caesar, and Augustus.

Before the Romans invaded, the islands of Britain had no single political or cultural identity.
Many peoples lived in Britain, in large, independent tribal groups, led by powerful kings and
queens. The tribes each controlled their own extensive territories and resources, and they did not
always live in peace with one another.

In the century after Caesar, contact between Britons and Romans increased. Some of the British
tribes, such as the Atrebates of central southern Britain, developed political and trading
relationships with Rome and adopted some Roman ways. Silchester developed as a town with
organised streets, its people importing Roman wine, olive oil and other products. Other tribes,
such as the Catuvellauni, who were based further north and east, remained wary or opposed.

They had a great amount of influence in Britain marking it with border, a great example of such
constructions was Hadrian’s Wall ran for eighty miles from Newcastle in the east to Carlisle in
the west. Designed to mark the boundaries of the Roman Empire, much of the great monument
can still be seen today.
When Hadrian died in 138 AD his successor Antonius Pius abandoned the newly completed wall
and again pushed northwards. A new frontier, the Antonine Wall was established between the
Forth and Clyde rivers in Scotland. Around 160 AD the Antonine Wall was abandoned and
thereafter Hadrian’s Wall again became the northern boundary of the Roman Empire in Britain.

Interesting facts and curiosities

The influence that the Roman Empire once had on this region is imbedded in the earth itself
marked by the ruins of once great walls with the purpose of protecting the borders and in the
name that it carries, the Romans called the area Britannia.

As with much of the land and territory the Romans conquered, they left a lasting impact on the
culture of Britain.

The Romans were master builders

and had engineering skills that
allowed for the construction of
Hadrian’s Wall, roads, aqueducts to
transport water, and introduced
concrete to Britain.

They also left Roman culture

behind, too, in the form of
government systems and laws, the
Latin language, and the Julian
calendar.

The first city the Romans established in Britannia was called Camulodunum, which is known as
present-day Colchester
The most famous cities they established in Britain was called Londinium. The city was founded
in 50 C.E. and later renamed London.

The city became the center of trade for

Britannia when the Romans constructed a
network of roads throughout Britain that
eventually flowed through Londinium.

The Romans left numerous architectural

marvels in Londinium that included structures
like a governor’s palace, temples, a basilica,
and hundreds of bathhouses.

The Romans also constructed the London Wall in 200 C.E., which was used as a defensive
system against the barbarians. The structure spanned three miles and was 20 feet in height with a
width of eight feet.

The influence that the Roman Empire had on Britain.

Britain was divided into a larger southern portion that the Romans were willing to defend and a
smaller northern portion that they were not interested in defending. This geographic distinction
roughly foreshadows the later division on the island of Britain between England in the south and
Scotland in the north.

North and west Britain remained underdeveloped and militarized here the landscape was hilly
and rocky, and it was much harder to set up the kinds of settlements the Romans were used to.
Also, the local tribes were less cooperative so the Roman military presence in these areas,
especially in present-day Wales, Cornwall, and the northwest, had to be much stronger.
The need of a strong military presence in Britain had a considerable impact on its coinage.

Roman Coinage Spread across Britain, one of the most significant changes to everyday life in
Britain was the introduction of Roman coinage. Lots and lots of Roman coins in small
denominations were found across Britain, even on quiet rural sites. The economy was becoming
more monetized, so even very low-level exchanges were now taking place by means of money
rather than barter.

There was a very specific reason behind this

increase in monetary circulation other than pure
market forces, namely, taxation. The Roman state
needed huge amounts of money to pay for its
military infrastructure, a large portion of which
was spent in Britain
Here there were more fortresses staffed by Roman legions. They were mostly pretty successful at
preventing serious revolts, but there was certainly no chance that they would be able to hold the
province if the soldiers weren’t there.

Romans brought Christianity to Britain. In

the cities, the language of daily life,
certainly of commerce, was Latin. All the
main cultural trends in the life of the Roman
Empire eventually made their way to Britain
as well, including artistic styles, styles of
dress, and even religion.

From about the 3rd century, Christianity

appeared in Britain and got a secure
foothold in the towns. Of course, it had
plenty of competition. There were dozens of
other cults being practiced in the British towns, just like in all the other Roman cities.

In fact, Roman Britain could boast a ritual center that was famous enough to draw pilgrims from
other parts of the empire, namely Aquae Sulis. This was a town in the west of Britain that had
wonderful hot springs. The native British population had used the site to venerate their goddess
Sulis. The Romans were known to take over and adopt the gods of the people they conquered.
 Bibliography:

https://www.britannica.com/place/Roman-Britain

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/romans/invasion/

https://www.historyforkids.net/the-romans-in-britain.html

https://www.wondriumdaily.com/roman-conquest-how-did-life-in-britain-change/