THINGS I THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW!

LESSON 2

1. THE ROMAN INVASION

In 55 and 54 BC Julius Caesar organized two expeditions against
Britain. He was not entirely successful and did not establish a
permanent Roman colony. However, many British tribes were
drawn in the sphere of Roman political contacts.
Cause:
British support lent to the rebels in Brittany (the Veneti of
Armorica) in 56 BC made Julius Caesar turn his attention to
Britain. To invade Britain would have been a glorious achievement
for Caesar as the land lay across the sea and the expedition would
have been quite dangerous. In 55 BC, Julius Caesar prepared to
lead a small force across the Channel.
The First Expedition
- Prior to the first expedition, Caesar received messengers form
several British tribes wishing to submit to him and thus avoid
invasion. He also sent a small reconnaissance force to identify
suitable landing beaches in Britain.
- Also sent a diplomatic mission led by the Gallic chieftain
Commius to gather support for the Romans. It failed!
- The Romans sailed on August 26. Two legions left for the
British shores – the Seventh and the Tenth.
- Their ships ran ashore somewhere near Deal in Kent. The
expedition was not successful: the legionaries disembarked
 under attack from the British and the 500 cavalry called on as
reinforcements failed to reach Britain because of a storm that
scattered the ships
- Caesar said the expedition was successful.
The second expedition
- Caesar decided to return to Britain with five legions counting
over 30000 men and 2000 cavalry.
- On July 6, 54 BC, Julius Caesar set sail for Britain again.
- There was no opposition this time as the Britons had fled at the
sight of his force.
- Eventually, the king's (Cassivellaunus) most important
stronghold fell in the hands of the Romans and he sued for
peace.
- Caesar was eager to accept. Winter was near, the danger of a
revolt in Gaul could not be ignored. He received British hostages
and decided on a tribute to be paid by Cassivellaunus.
Further attempts
- Caesar’s successor, Augustus, the first Roman Emperor, planned
to invade Britain in 34 BC and 26 BC. However, fearing
rebellions elsewhere in the empire, he cancelled the expeditions.
- In other words, unable to get involved directly, the Romans
remained politically engaged in Britain.
2. THE ROMAN CONQUEST
The Roman conquest of Britain began in 43 CE. Their initial
success was plagued by resistance in Wales and the north and by
rebellions in the south. Forty years later, however, their armies had
reached as far north as the Scottish Highlands.
Cause
- Verica, the exiled king of the Atrebates, appealed for support to
restore him to his former position. The Romans used this appeal
as a pretext for their invasion in 43 CE. In April of that year, four
legions counting over 20000 men set sail for Britain.
The invasion
- The Claudian force landed in eastern Kent and pushed westward.
- The two leaders of the Catuvellauni, tried to resist invasion but
were pushed back to the Thames. After one of them died there
was a pause in the campain. Later on Claudius himself arrived
and directed the capture of Camulodunum (Colchester) before
returning to Rome.
The expansion
- During the next four years, the area controlled by the Romans
expanded. Around 47 CE the Romans had pushed northwards
and westwards.
- They tried to advance in Wales but were opposed by Caratacus
(a commander), who was finally captured in 51 CE.
Resistance
- In 60 CE, a serious revolt almost drove the Romans out of
Britain. After the death of King Prasutanus of the Iceni, his wife
Boudicca rebelled against Roman authority for fear of having her
kingdom absorbed into the Roman province.
- Londinium and Verulamium (London and St. Albans) had been
burnt down. Eventually, the Iceni were defeated by Paulinus’s
legions in the midlands. Boudicca died soon after her defeat.
The frontier in the north
- Roman expansion in Wales continued until the mid-70s. In 77 or
78 CE, the governor Julius Agricola arrived in Britain and took
over the northward advance of the Romans; most of his
conquests had been abandoned several years later.
3. BRITAIN AS A ROMAN PROVINCE
The 2nd and 3rd centuries CE marked a peaceful and generally
prosperous period of time for Roman Britain. The development of
towns and the establishment of a network of roads made trade and
communication easier. Britain was not touched by the instability
that held sway elsewhere in the Roman Empire.
The northern frontier
- During his visit to Britain in 122 CE, Hadrian ordered a wall to
be built in the north as a barrier. Several years later, the wall was
completed and remained the northern frontier of the Roman
province for about 40 years, although there were outpost forts
north of this line.
- Pius, who succeeded Hadrian, ordered that Hadrian’s Wall be
evacuated and another frontier be built 100 miles to the north. In
161 CE Marcus Aurelius ordered that the Antonine Wall be
abandoned and Hadrian’s Wall became the boundary of the
province again.
Pax Romana
- Until the 280s CE there followed a period of peace and
prosperity for the Roman province of Britannia. A network of
roads was built, towns prospered and a system of government
was developed. The province had a governor chosen from the
Roman elite and who was a senator. The governor’s authority
covered civil and military administration.
- In 213 CE the province was divided into Britannia Superior
having its capital at London and Britannia Inferior having its
capital in York. Before 312 CE the province was further split
into four and five subdivisions/provinces. This administrative
change left governors weaker and less effective in introducing
changes that would benefit the entire Roman Britain.
The army
- After 80 CE three legions (over 16000 men) were stationed in
Roman Britain. The army played an important role in the
Romanization of Britain.After 25 years of service, soldiers
gained Roman citizenship and so the Britons could become
citizens of Rome. The native Britons who joined the army had to
learn Latin; the language used for civilian administration as well.
It is not certain that Latin preplaced the native Celtic languages
entirely. After the invasions of the 5th century Latin died out but
remained the language of culture and education and the universal
language of the Christian Church.
The towns
- Colchester, Lincoln, Gloucester and York held the highest urban
rank – coloniae. They were established for veterans who had
become citizens, had a town council and a constitution. St.
Albans and London held a lesser rank – municipium. They
played an important role in the Romanization of the province,
but only town councillors and their families received citizenship.
Other towns were first tribal centres called civitates and were
later urbanized.
- A network of roads was built to connect the towns and villages
- Britain exported leather and textiles and imported luxury goods
such as glass vessels and garum (fermented fish sauce used as a
condiment).
The villages
- Most people did not live in towns. From the 2nd century, large
villas often surrounded by farming settlements became quite
common. Traditional beliefs survived in rural areas. Celtic
deities were still worshipped. In time, Celtic and Roman gods
were merged.
The south
- The last major expedition in the north was organized in 208-211
CE.
- During the 3rd and 4th centuries, Roman emperors stopped
trying to push the frontier further north and focused on dealing
with rebellions and defending the borders of the province.