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Roman Britain

The Romans finally invaded Britain in 43AD, after false starts by Caesar in 55 and 54 BC. Most British tribes threw in their lot with the Romans. Notable resistance came from a tribal chieftain called Caratacus, but he was forced north, leaving the settlement of Colchester to the Romans. Colchester was turned into a model of what Roman Britain would look like, and became Britain's first city.

Initially things went well for Roman Britain, but when the indolent Nero succeeded Claudius in AD54 things changed. In the kingdom of the Iceni, in what is now East Anglia, the respect and conventions which had allowed the 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. It is estimated that 70,000 people could have been killed by Boudicca. 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.

Roman occupation continued for the next four hundred years. For a short time at the end of the third century Britain became an independent state under Carausius. Emperor Maximian had appointed Carausius to suppress bands of Saxon pirates terrorising the Channel. When Carausius was suspected of being in league with the enemy, 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, hold the title as Britain's first independent ruler. Carausius was eventually murdered by one of his ministers, Allectus. This man 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 the authority of the Empire was emerging. The Roman Emperor had always been worshipped as a god. 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 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 cult of the Emperor. 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 not being gods by claiming that they were appointed by God. The 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 which was gathering momentum at this time. By 410AD problems for the Romans in Europe were so serious that the Roman garrison in Britannia was withdrawn to reinforce the Roman army 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 St Albans' Verulamium Museum 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.

 

Walls Of London outside the Museum of London

What is left of the Roman legacy can be explored at a number of locations around the country. The Roman capital of Colchester has a display devoted to Roman Britain at Colchester Castle, which stands on the site of the vast temple of Claudius. In Cirencester, known as Corinium in Roman times, Roman Britain's second largest town, there is the Corinium Museum. As well as the Verulamium Museum St Albans has a well preserved Roman theatre. There is the fascinating Roman Spa at Bath. The most complete remains of a Roman town can be seen at Silchester in Hampshire. The remains of a Roman palace, and a recreation of a Roman garden can be seen at Fishbourne, near Chichester in West Sussex.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.