History of Britain: The Romans in England

This is a part of an ongoing series of articles concerning ''The History of Britain''. Although the series of articles can be read separately, it is advised to read the series starting from the beginning as they are connected to each other chronologically and serve as a piece of puzzle to make up a full set. In the previous articles; Prehistoric Britain, until the Iron Age, and The Brief History of Celts were given. This article continues with the Roman occupation in Britain which played a very important role in the advancement of the island.

After the Celtic occupation of the island was halted by the Roman Empire, the Celts were slaughtered and driven off from the land. Although Emperor Julius Caesar was unsuccessful in his earlier attacks in 55 and 54 BC, his attempt was extremely useful for a later Roman series of attacks as he mentioned and wrote about the Britions in his book The Gallic Wars (58 - 50 BCE) which introduced the culture, weaknesses, and strength of the mighty warriors. Since there was a political conflict in Rome, Ceaser was unable to seize power over the Britons. Thus, the Roman invasion was delayed until 43 AD.

PART ONE: THE DEATH OF CEASER

‘The Death of Caesar’ (detail), by Vincenzo Camuccini, c.1804. Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Rome.

''On March 15, 44 B.C.E., Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in Rome, Italy. Caesar was the dictator of the Roman Republic, and his assassins were Roman senators, and fellow politicians who helped shape Roman policy and government. Julius Caesar was immensely popular with the people of Rome. He was a successful military leader who expanded the republic to include parts of what are now Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Belgium. Caesar was also a popular author who wrote about his travels, theories, and political views. Many members of the Senate, a group of appointed (not elected) political leaders, resented Caesar’s popularity and arrogance. After Caesar attained the status of dictator for life in 44 B.C.E., these officials decided to strike the ultimate blow against his power. A group of as many as 60 conspirators decided to assassinate Caesar at the meeting of the Senate on March 15, the ides of March. Collectively, the group stabbed Caesar a reported 23 times, killing the Roman leader. The death of Julius Caesar ultimately had the opposite impact of what his assassins hoped. Much of the Roman public hated the senators for the assassination, and a series of civil wars ensued. In the end, Caesar’s grandnephew and adoptive son Octavian emerged as Rome’s leader.'' (National Geographic Society)

The rule of Augustus ended the Roman Republic and started the Roman Empire successfully. He became the first emperor of Rome. The emperor Augustus named himself as Augustus Caesar and enlarged the Roman territory with his new reforms.

PART TWO: THE ROMAN CONQUEST OF ENGLAND

Troops of Claudius Aarriving Britain

After the rule of the Emperor Augustus, Tiberius ruled from 14 AD until Caligula became an emperor in 41 AD. Neither Augustus nor Tiberius was interested in taking over the British Isles and Caligula failed at expedition to England. In 41 AD, Claudius became an emperor and successfully invaded Britain by the leadership of the general Aulus Plastius who led a skilled army to the island. Romans slaughtered and drove the Britons off the land during the reign of Emperor Claudius and conquered Scotland during the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius in 140 AD. Although the Celtic tribes endured, Romans eventually gained control as well as dominance after four years of struggle. As a result, they remained on the island from 43 AD to 410 AD which makes about four centuries in total.

There might be several reasons why they wanted to conquer the island. Yet, most probably since their territories were being enlarged by the troops of Ceaser at that time, they wanted to gain dominance to spread over Europe to gain more territories. In addition, they went to Britain to look for materials such as silver, iron, and gold as well as slaves. There is no doubt that the vast island and wide resources attracted them the most.

PART THREE: CONTRIBUTIONS OF ROMANS AND THE ROMAN HERITAGE IN ENGLAND

It is clear from the historical perspective that Romans perfected the land which they inhabited. They established London, which was called Londium, as an important city of commerce and transportation. They built roads, concrete, central heating, water, and sewage systems. Apart from that, they established laws and applied a legal system that inspired later generations. The Roman language, Latin, is also very important as modern English is based on Latin. Later, they even brought Christianity to all the lands they occupied.

PART FOUR: DECLINE OF THE ROMAN OCCUPATION

Boudica or Boadicea The Warrior Queen

BOUDICA RIOTS

The progress and Roman occupation were delayed around 6o AD because of the Boudica riots. She was a Celtic queen of Iceni who led a general uprising against the Roman Empire. Prasutagus, Boudica's husband, died in 60 AD. After his death, the Iceni territory was added to the Roman empire. Romans treated the tribe badly. As a response to the harsh Roman oppression, Boudica led a major revolt. Her troop launched a series of destructive attacks on Roman settlements as well as cities, especially the Roman cities in England harshly affected due to the attacks. The rebellion was so harsh that it almost shook the Roman rule in Britain. After a series of battles between Baudica's troops and Romans, she was defeated and the Roman occupation in Britain was restored. Although she was defeated, Boudica has become a resistance symbol against the ''invader''. Her legacy was celebrated in British literature as well as folktales thanks to her courage.

After a stable decade, Romans conquered Wales and the North in 70 AD. However, there were not only internal political rebellions in Italy but also external threats by the Germanic Tribes who were expanding their territories. There was also an ongoing Dacia War between the Roman Empire and Dacia. Thus, many of the Romans left Britain since Emperor Domitian called for support.

Around the year 121 Emperor Hadrian visited Britain and ordered the construction of a wall to be built in order to protect the Northern parts of the Roman occupation. It reached 160 km through the North and was an important symbol of Roman power.

Hadrian's Walls, Brampton England

Mainly it was built as a defence barrier to protect the Roman borders from the Picts, a tribe that lived around Scotland, who became more active on the Hadrian's walls as well as served as a protection from the Celtic tribes. The walls enabled Romans to observe the area and the possible threats from the enemy. The ruins of the wall now is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Later, about 130 years later around the year 350 AD, the Roman authority as well as military forces started to be shaken as the attacks of Picts were increasing and Saxom pirates arrived from Northwest Europe. The Roman army was under a serious threat from the Irish coast and faced an economic decline due to their attempts to defend the land. A set of barbarians came to overthrow the Roman rule and the further arrival of the Germanic tribes caused the initial fall of the Roman empire. In addition, due to an internal as well as political struggle in Rome, the departure of the Roman army made the island defenseless. Thus, around 401 and 410 AD The Romans withdrew from Britain for good.

An Illustration of the Germanic Tribes

In conclusion, the Roman occupation of Britain was a long-lasting period of rule of the Roman Empire. Starting from the rule of the emperor Claudius who took over the land, Romans highly contributed to the further development of England as they built roads, central heating, sewage system, and most importantly language and politics. Their long reign ended due to the attacks of the rising barbaric tribes such as Picts, Celts, Saxons, and Jutes as well as due to the internal political struggle. After the Romans left Britain about 410 the island was left defenseless. As a result, a series of Germanic tribes called the Angle, Saxon, and Jutes landed in Britain which started the long occupation of Anglo-Saxon rules on the island.

SOURCES CITED:

Hadrian's Walls. National Churches Trust. Accessed from https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/explore/story/hadrians-wall on 21 September 2023

Historical Association, writers, and editors. ''Roman Britain: a brief history Reference guide for primary''. History.org.uk. Accessed from https://www.history.org.uk/primary/resource/3851/roman-britain-a-brief-history#:~:text=They%20brought%20urban%20life%2C%20roads,about%20their%20lives%20in%20Britain. on 19 September 2023

National Geographic Society. ''Mar 15, 44 BC: Julius Caesar Assassinated'' September 28, 2022. Accessed From https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/julius-caesar-assassinated/ on 19 September 2023