ROMAN

INVASION

J. Caesar wanted

fame, so in 55 BC

warships appeared on

the Kent coast

Britons were

waiting for

them on the

beach

In mid-September J. Caesar

& his ships went away: He

had come & seen but not

conquered

By 54 BC came with

a great force & they

took battle at the

territory of

Catuvellauni = pay

tribute to the

Romans

J. Caesar

achieved

enough &

moved back his

forces

He won public

recognition in

Rome

Treaties between Rome

& British leaders were

successful and Rome

established trading links

with parts of Britain

Claudius wanted to fulfill

all his political aims with

the conquest of Britain.

He was anxious for

military honour

In 43 AD they

invaded the Kent

coast under the

command of

Plautius

His objective was

Camulodunum

(Colchester), the

Catuvellanian

capital

Plautius completed his task &

occupied the land behind the

frontier that Claudius laid down: a

line from Lincoln to the south of

Devon coast

Claudius waited in

Rome until he

received the

message to

complete the

campaign Colchester fell and

the outstanding

British warrior,

Caractacus, fled for

his life When Claudius received

the submission of the

tribes he came back to

Rome to claim his

triumph

The new defenses

served by the 190

mile Fosse Way,

Britain 1st

military

frontier road

Beyond this

land there

were the wild

unconquered

tribesmen

Within the new

frontiers the

process of ruling

& civilizing the

islanders began

CONQUEST OF THE MIDLANDS

& THE NORTH

Treaty with Cartimandua made

possible the conquest of

Midlands & Wales:

Caractacus, after his

defeat, appealed

Queen Cartimandua of

the Brigantes for

refuge (50 AD)

She rejected this

request because of

her treaty with

Rome, but her

decision led to

disagreements

among the Brigantes

Caractacus was captured &

taken to Rome, where he

was pardoned

The removal of

Caractacus allowed

the fortification of

Wales & the

northwest Midlands

Romans began to intervene in the

North in the 50-60s

Rebellion

among the Iceni

& Trinovantes,

led by Boudica

Causes:

Boudica’s

own

treatment at

Roman hands

after her

husband’s

death

Trinovantes’s

resentment

for the

construction

of a colonia

at Colchester

These events exacerbated pro- &

anti-Roman sympathies among the

brigantes

Vespasian tried to bring the entire mainland to the Roman

province. There were some territorial gains under:

Cerialis

established a

legionary

fortress at York

and advanced

into Scotland

Agricola’s governorship

was held by 3 different

men:

Vespasian favoured total

conquest

Titus removed legionary

troops from Britain in 80

Domitian permitted a

renewal of the colonial

advance, but reducing the

fighting with the

Caledonians In 83, Agricola

committed genocide

on the Caledonians at

the battle of Mons

Grapius. Then, he

was recalled to Rome

By 87 the building of new fortress was

abandoned & legions went back to the

Continent, indicating that frontier problems

in Europe were increasing. The period of

conquest was complete

Hadrian

Wall

In 122 Emperor Hadrian arrived.

He built a wall to separate the

barbarians from the Romans

The stone wall

extended from

Newcastle to

Willowford

The construction took 7

years and it consisted of

the wall itself with forts,

milecastle & watchtowers

along it. When the wall

was finished a great ditch

was dug on the south side

Hadrian’s fortification

served its purpose for

years.

the forces were no longer

available. Roman generals

fighting for the Imperial

throne

407

Roman forces left

NORTHERN

FRONTIER: THE 2

WALLS

Hadrian

Wall

Antonine

Wall

In 138

planned to build

a new wall

reoccupy

territories

It was built of

design with

varying size

shorter intervalsHadrian’s fortification

served its purpose for 250

. But in the 4th

century

the forces were no longer

available. Roman generals

fighting for the Imperial

throne removed troops. In

407, the last effective

Roman forces left Britain for

the Continent

Marcus Aurelius

Antonine’s

138 Antoninus

planned to build

new wall & to

reoccupy

territories The Antonine Wall

was the northern

frontier of the Roman

Empire and probably

it was intended to

resemble Hadrian’s

Wall

It was built of turf & a

design with forts of

varying size at much

shorter intervals

Its main objective

may have been

closer supervision

of the northern

tribes

Marcus Aurelius decided by 163 to abandon

Antonine’s Wall and reoccupy Hadrian’s one

THE ROADS

Romans needed a

network of roads to

connect its new towns

& army posts and to

speed the flow of

trade

The most vital

priority was the

movement of troops

& supplies from the

ports to the military

centres in London,

Colchester & the

front-line forts

The Fosse Way was the 1st

great Roman road in Britain

from Exeter to Lincoln

After these “front-line” roads had been

established, the Romans turned their

attention to expand the network of minor

roads within their new possession, to aid

the flow of trade

The minor roads, called ‘economic

roads’, were built to link economic

centres with administrative

capitals & coastal ports

There was a 3rd

level of roads

at the local level, connecting

villas, temples, farms &

villages to larger roads &

market towns

Every Roman road in Britain was linked

with the routes to London, and from there a

direct route pointed to Dover where

regular ferries linked Britain with the main

highway to the capital city of the Empire

“All roads lead to Rome”

By the 1st

century, there were already

busy sea routes linking the various

territories of the Roman Empire. On

the coast of Britain the Romans built

harbours which were linked to the

roads they had already built in the

island.

The mastery of

communications was the

secret of Roman power.

THE ROMANISATION OF

THE BRITISH ISLES

Romans established a

system of law & order

and opened

communications so

trade flourished

Under Rome, Britain

enjoyed 3 centuries of

peace & prosperity

Roman civilization was

based on racial toleration

& class society

There were

citizens & slaves.

They could gain

Roman citizenship

by merit, influence

or service to Rome

Civilization was

based on towns

(often developed

from forts) &

connected by a

network of

engineered roads

The towns were the centres

of Roman influence &

administration Towns were ordered

streets where shops,

temples & a central

forum sprang quickly

Trade flourished within the

Island and between Britain &

the rest of Europe (flourishing of

local enterprises)

British benefit

from Economic &

social

opportunities

In the 3rd century,

Christianity

flourished under

the Romans When barbarians advanced, the Christians

fled to the hills where they kept alive their

faith

SOCIETY, ECONOMY & ART

To the towns came

lawyers & tax

collectors The language of

the law was

Latin.

Villas incorporated

large warm baths and

reception rooms with

under-floor central

heating.

Larger villas were self-sufficient,

surrounded by well-cultivated

fields, source of most of the

products which were offered for

sale in the market towns.

Every important town

in Britain had its public

baths that became

community centres of

Roman civilization.

Romans also brought a deeper culture

to Britain. In the schools tutors gave

lessons in elegant salons where the

descendents of the old tribal chiefs

studied Latin, Literature & Art

The Romans brought with

them the mosaic. Only the

richest people could afford

this elegant luxury

British craftsmen learnt the

art from their Roman

masters. Some of their

mosaics portray animals &

flowers, as well as gods’

representation

“Bread & circuses”: Generations of Roman

emperors believed that the best way to

preserve the loyalty of their subjects was

to provide them with ‘panem et circenses’.

Even in Britain there was a constant

succession of popular entertainments.

Most Roman cities had amphitheatres

outside the walls, used for plays. In the

arenas inside the cities, sporting events &

real tragedies were played. Many pots

show gladiators fighting, and depict tales

of their acts.

URBAN & RURAL CENTRES

Towns were places to work:

industrial raw material &

agricultural produce was taken

into towns to be processed into

saleable items

Ties between urban & rural life were very

strong: civitas administrators made their

money from industry, which was dependent

on raw material from the countryside or

agriculture

The main source of

all income was

agriculture

Roman Britain divided into 2

social & economical zones

In the fertile lowlands of

the south & east a

prosperous agricultural

economy based on villas

developed. Culturally, this

area became the most

Romanized & urbanized

area of the province

In the high country of the north

& west, they were valued as

much for their mineral

resources as their agriculture. In

the north, economic

opportunities were no less

significant than those of their

richer counterparts in the south

& east. Some civitates in the

north grew considerably under

Roman rule, especially the

Brigantes and the Carvetii

The Romans established a

political unity in the South and

the Thames was an important

commercial route for

communications with other

parts of the Roman Empire. The

earliest activity associated with

Londinium was probably

military.

In the 1st

century, it was built a

‘palace’ (praetorium) for the

governor and there were other

structures for the judicial

officer (legatus iuridicus) and

the procurator, some official

buildings to house the

governor’s guard

(speculatores), and an

amphitheatre. There were

some bath-houses and a forum

& basilica. These buildings

were the heart of

administrative & commercial

life in all major Romanized

British towns. However, much of the

city’s space was taken up

with small houses of

craftsmen of different

kinds, in busy streets.

LONDINIUM: ROMAN

LONDON

However, much of the

city’s space was taken up

with small houses of

craftsmen of different

kinds, in busy streets.

In the 2nd

& early

centuries they built an

extensive timber

waterfront and a

complete wall-enclosure

on the town side, with

gatehouses in addition

to the fort.

by the title of

Londinium’s relevance in the 4th

century was undeniable, confirmed

by the title of Augusta, and its role as

the seat of the vicarious of the 4

British provinces. The building of a

riverside wall & the equipping of the

existing walls with bastions of

artillery also suggest that the city

was important enough to try to

The entire Roman

London occupied

roughly the area of

the Modern City of

London.

From 367 British

province sank

towards the

chaos of Dark

Ages. 40 years

later Britain

ceased to be

part of the

Roman world.

THE END OF ROMAN

BRITAIN

In the death agony of Roman

Britain, the towns wrote to

Emperor Honorious asking for

help, only to be told that from

now on they must look after

their own defences. Britain

was on its own

The Britons seized the

opportunity to break

away from Rome,

establishing their own

administration as best

they could.

After nearly 350 years of

peace & civilization, Rome

Britain had finally come to

an end

Stilicho reorganized

British defences. But in

401, he and his army left

Britain to defend Italy

Barbarian invasions of

367 marked a turning

point. The barbarian

assailed it from north

(Picts), east (Saxons) &

west (Irish)

Theodosius, a Spaniard sent by

emperor Valentian, landed with

fresh troops in 368 & liberated

London, proclaimed amnesty for

soldiers & spent the winter pulling

the army together.

In 2 years he restored

peace. But his peace was

very fragile and the decline

of the empire was now a

fact

Barbarian attacks

were increasingly

strong & more

frequent

Villas were abandoned & people

fled to the safety of the walled

cities. But trade on which city life

depended declined quickly with

the decline in agriculture.

THE GREAT MIGRATIONS & INVASIONS

The invasions

consequences were

felt most strongly in

southern & eastern

Britain, where Roman

culture had been most

consolidated.

In this period of mass

migrations across the North

& Irish seas initiated the

creation of new political

order, social unrest &

warfare.

This long period of conflicts &

ethnic tensions redefined a New

Britain. It lasted from 600 to

1066.

There was a new political

landscape, consisting on little

kingdoms different to the

Roman provincial structure.

There were great

religious & linguistic

differences.

By the end of Roman

Britain, Christianity

had a significant

number of believers

in Britain, while the

Saxon remained

pagan until the 7th

century.

Britain was divided between:

o the English speaking Anglo-Saxon

east

o and the Celtic north & west where

the British & Pictish languages

persisted

In Ireland and in some parts of

western Britain a different Celtic

language, Gaelic, was spoken

British history

opened a new era

with the Anglo-

Saxon invasion of

the 5th

century.

Native British (more Celtic than Roman) put

resistance: ancient hill-forts as bases of British

war leaders against the invaders. For a time

they stopped settlement & conquest

In the late 6th

century

Anglo-Saxons won victory

at the Battle of Dyrham in

577

Invasions lasted for

6 centuries and

ended at the Battle

of Hastings in 1066

During this time, the

Anglos, Saxons &

Jutes (West Germanic

ancestry) created the

pattern of villages

which endured to

modern times

Saxons

were organized into

several small

The most

formation of thes

were

In the course of the

kingdoms were converted

SAXONS, ANGLOS & JUTES

Saxons in Britain

were organized into

several small

kingdoms

Generation by generation the

divided kingdom of Saxon

England moved towards unity

The most complicated

formation of these kingdoms

were Mercia & Wessex

In the course of the 7th

century, all these

kingdoms were converted

to Christianity

Anglo-Saxons were primarily farming people,

but during 8th

century they manifested their

vitality in urban life = London flourished

Under Edward the

Confessor

Saxon’s King)

flourished:

Westminster Abbey

Under Celtic &

Roman churchmen,

Church was

powerful.

In the 10th

century

many monasteries

were founded, having

effects on religious &

social life

Scholarship also flourished: monks

produced woks in Latin, but authors

also wrote in Anglo-Saxon, the

beginning of the English language

Many works were

translated from

Latin to be more

accessible to the

English .Beowulf

was composed in

the 8th century Edward the

Confessor (last Anglo-

Saxon’s King) art

flourished: creation of

Westminster Abbey

When Edward died in

1066, the throne passed

to Harold, Earl of Wessex.

England was wealthy &

powerful

Viking period started

with the killing of a

royal oficial in Wessex

aroun 789

Viking’s targets were the

rich & defenceless

monasteries near the coast

In 793 Vikings sacked a

wealthy monastery. Many

monks were killed and others

took as slaves.

Monks didn’t Heard of

Vikings before, but the

following year, when

Vikings came again to

sack, they were ready

for them = many

Vikings were killed

and their leader was

captured and killed.

40 years passed before

Vikings came again to

English coasts, but when

they returned they came

in strength & to stay

THE VIKINGS

Because of the

decentralized power

structure of Ireland that

made difficult coordinate

defence, it was who suffer

most severely during Viking

attacks

In 836, Vikings built

fortified bases. A few

became permanent

settlements. In the 10th

century developed into

Ireland’s 1st

true towns:

the most successful was

Dublin, founded in 841

The ‘Great Danish Army’

invaded Northumbria in 867.

Three years later, King

Edmund of East Anglia was

martyred when Danes took his

kingdom

Mercia was invaded too, and

the 3 kingdoms were forced to

make peace on Danish terms

Vikings inspired their enemies to

unite against them: Picts of eastern

Scotland & the Scots of Dalriada

united under Kenneth MacAlpin (birth

of the kingdom of Scotland

Viking invasions reached their peak in

Alfred of Wessex

England ‘the Danelaw

legal customs & survived even after the Norman

Conquest. They shared the land in peace

Victory of Wessex’s King,

Alfred, over the Danes

was decisive: Danes

swore they would leave

Alfred’s kingdom and that

their king, Guthrum

would be baptized

Vikings inspired their enemies to

Picts of eastern

Scotland & the Scots of Dalriada

united under Kenneth MacAlpin (birth

kingdom of Scotland)

Viking invasions reached their peak in 870-1. In 878,

Alfred of Wessex, confined the Danes to eastern

Danelaw’, where they imposed their

legal customs & survived even after the Norman

Conquest. They shared the land in peace

of Wessex’s King,

over the Danes

was decisive: Danes

swore they would leave

Alfred’s kingdom and that

Guthrum,

baptized Alfred’s great-grandson Edgar

(959-75) was defeated by the

Danes under Canute, quickly

converted to Christianity.

Administration, monastery

support & coinage continued

along Saxon lines. Under

Danish kings, the country was

given peace