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Roman Britain
Roman Britain
The story of the earliest days of Roman Britain is told by the Palace of Fishbourne, near Chichester in West Sussex. Long before Rome actually invaded Britain, the area of Chichester with its excellent natural harbours, was closely associated with the Roman Empire through trade. Rulers of southern central England were based here, and the first of these rulers whose name survives is Commius, who ruled until about 20BC. He is known to have been friendly towards Caesar, but later fell out with him.
Commius was succeeded by Tincommius, his son, who had coins minted that closely resembled Roman models. Tincommius' successors, Epillus and Verica were also close to Rome. Around AD41 Verica travelled to Rome to ask for for help in dealing with his enemies in Britain. This was a crucial event, since in Rome Claudius had just become emperor and was looking for a military triumph to consolidate his position. Britain was an obvious choice, and the arrival of Verica seems to have been the deciding factor in making Britain the scene of the new emperor's first conquest. This invasion now could be presented as a response to a request for help. By 43AD preparations were complete and the invasion began. A large force landed at Richborough in Kent, and then made its way through Kent to the Medway. Here the massed armies of British tribes hostile to Rome were waiting, led by Togodubnus and Caractacus. After a two day battle Togodubnus was killed and Caractacus was forced to flee north. With the British tribes defeated, the Romans needed a leader acceptable to native Britons and to Rome. Verica was probably elderly by now and wasn't chosen. Instead Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus took over, and a grand palace was built for him, the remains of which can still be seen at Fishbourne. (See Fishbourne by Barry Cunliffe)
Garden at the Palace of Fishbourne
Initially things went well for Roman Britain, but when the indolent Nero succeeded Claudius in AD54 there was trouble. In the Iceni kingdom, in what is now East Anglia, the respect and conventions which had allowed British tribes to accept Roman rule, were abandoned. King Prasutagus had died and his wife Boudicca, wanting to head off trouble, had already offered to share her kingdom with Nero. Nero, uninterested in sharing power with anyone, had Boudicca flogged and her daughters raped. The result was a rebellion that engulfed the entire region. In AD60 Boudicca marched on Colchester, burning any Roman settlement she came to on the way. Colchester then suffered the same fate, a bowl of carbonised dates surviving to this day as evidence of Boudicca's revenge. Then London was destroyed, an event so violent that it has left its mark in a red layer of soil half a meter thick, lying about four meters below street level. Eventually the Roman army, which had been busy suppressing rebellion in Wales, reached eastern England. Boudicca's now large and unwieldy army was quickly defeated. Boudicca killed herself rather than fall into Roman hands. Following this rebellion Julius Agricola tried to avoid further trouble by ruling more fairly, or so his son-in-law Tactitus tells us. (See The Isles by Norman Davies)
Remains of the Monumental Arch at Richborough
Roman occupation continued for the next four hundred years. The highpoint for Roman Britain came in the second and third centuries. At Richborough where Claudius had landed, a huge Monumental Arch was built. This was the symbolic entrance to a prosperous and peaceful province. But late in the third century conditions became more difficult, with Saxon raids beginning on coastal towns. Emperor Maximian appointed Carausius to suppress the bands of Saxon pirates terrorising the Channel. When Carausius was suspected of being in league with the pirates, Maximian ordered his execution. To save himself Carausius fled to Britain in 286AD and set himself up as an independent emperor. He established the country's first mint, and successfully ruled the islands for six years. He might, therefore, be considered as Britain's first independent ruler. Carausius was eventually murdered by one of his ministers, Allectus. Allectus was probably responsible for building the great Roman fort at Pevensey, much of which remains today. In 296AD, after a period of confusion, direct Roman rule was re-established.
The Cult Room at Lullingstone Roman Villa
At about the time of Carausius's death a more important threat to Roman authority was emerging. Roman Emperors had always been worshipped as gods. Other religious beliefs were permitted as long as they did not conflict with belief in the Emperor. In the Cult Room of Lullingstone Roman Villa in Kent, one of the most outstanding Roman remains in Britain, these Emperor centred beliefs were duly followed. It is clear that water spirits of the nearby river Derwent were also worshipped at Lullingstone: little pictures representing them survive in the Cult Room. It is also clear that these watery little spirits weren't a threat to any mighty Roman leaders. But around 300AD Christianity was becoming increasingly popular, and as Christians believed in a single god their belief did indeed threaten the Emperor cult. Efforts to stamp out the religion were unsuccessful. The Roman Emperors did not learn the lessons of later European rulers, who got round the problem of leaders clearly not being gods by claiming that they were appointed by God. Roman Emperors still wanted to be actual gods, an idea whose time seemed to have passed. By 380AD the Cult Room at Lullingstone had been converted to a Christian chapel, although there is evidence that people played it safe and worshipped the old gods as well. You might say this change reflects the break down of the Roman Empire, already beginning to decline at this time. By 410AD problems for the Romans in Europe were so serious that the Roman garrison in Britannia was withdrawn to reinforce Roman positions elsewhere. The withdrawal was only supposed to be temporary, but the soldiers never returned.
Verulamium Park
The Romans were in Britain for over four hundred years, but when they left their civilisation disappeared with them, and left remarkably little impact on the country that followed. This vanishing of a civilisation is particularly poignant at St Albans. You stand in front of the Verulamium Museum at St Albans, and look out over playing fields where the great Roman town of Verulamium once stood. The town simply vanished into the ground - although the foundations of one building have been excavated, and are on display in Verulamium Park.
Roman walls of London at Tower Hill
What is left of the Roman legacy can be explored at a number of locations around the country. Colchester Castle - which stands on the site of the vast temple of Claudius - has an important display of Roman items. In Cirencester, known as Corinium in Roman times, Roman Britain's second largest town, there is the Corinium Museum. In St Albans there is the Verulamium Museum and a well preserved Roman theatre. The most complete remains of a Roman town can be seen at Silchester in Hampshire, with many items excavated here on display at Reading Museum. A complete Roman Bath house has been excavated and rebuilt in Bath. The courses of many Roman Roads can still be followed, and walks can be taken along Hadrian's Wall, the seventy three mile wall built to mark the northern boundary of the Roman Empire. In London, a city founded by the Romans, the British Museum has a wonderful collection of Roman artifacts. Here you will be able to see a spectacular set of silverware, known as the Mildenhall Treasure, discovered in Suffolk during World War Two. The Roman collection also includes objects ranging from oculist stamps for marking sticks of eye ointment to penknives and cosmetic sets. Short sections of the walls which once surrounded the Roman City of Londinium can be seen beside the Museum of London, and at Tower Hill just outside Tower Hill Underground Station. Varieties of Roman apple can be tasted at the National Fruit Collections, at Brogdale in Kent. See the Visits menu for a more comprehensive list of sites of Roman interest.