Early Britain: Roman Era

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

When the Romans decided to expand their territory by taking over the island they called Britannia, they didn't quite know what they were facing.

The Celts (pronounced "Kelts"), an ancient people who had spread all over Central and Western Europe, had made the island their home, and many of them did not welcome the great conquerors!

Four hundred years later, the Romans had to withdraw their troops, but the Roman invasion would forever change the face of Britain.

The Britons

The Romans called the barbarians living on this island Britons. They were the Celts, fierce warrior people with impressive metal-working skills, strange and violent religious practices, artistic flair, and a language that has survived to the present day.

Invasions

After defeating the Celts in Gaul (now France) in 55 BC, Julius Caesar and two Roman legions (10,000 soldiers) were the first Romans to enter Britain. Caesar thought the Britons would be easy to defeat. On this first trip, he built a fort and fought off some Celtic warriors but left without conquering the land.

Caesar returned the next year, 54 BC, with 800 ships and five legions of soldiers. He reached the River Thames, fighting off the less organized Celts and burning much of the land he traveled through. (This is called a scorched-earth policy, which means destroying the resources of your enemy.)

However, bad weather damaged many of Caesar's ships, and he had to return to Gaul to deal with some problems.

It would be almost a hundred years before the Romans came back again.

In 43 AD, the Roman Emperor Claudius sent four legions to conquer Britannia. A Celtic chief named Caratacus led the resistance against him.

Later that year, Claudius himself arrived with more soldiers. They took the town they called Camulodunum (now Colchester), and 11 Celtic kings surrendered.

• Why would they surrender?

Doing so prevented the loss of life and property while allowing them to benefit from becoming part of a larger, more prosperous empire.

By 47 AD, the Romans had conquered southern Britain.

In 51 AD, Caratacus again led a rebellion against the Romans, but he was captured and sent to Rome. There, he pleaded his case so well that Emperor Claudius released him and let him live out the rest of his days peacefully in Rome!

Meanwhile, the Romans began reshaping Britain by building towns, forts, roads, and walls.

Roman Forts

To defend themselves from the Celts, the Romans built military forts throughout the land.

• Would you like to tour one of those forts?

Watch an animated fly-through of the Roman Fort at Templeborough.

Hadrian's Wall

The Romans conquered southern Britain but were unsuccessful in the island's northern part (which we now know as Scotland). So, instead of conquering the tribes to the north, they built a wall to keep them out! They worked on the wall from 122 AD to 139 AD.

This is the famous Hadrian's Wall, pictured at the lesson's beginning. It stretches 73 miles from the east coast of Britain to the west. There are watchtowers and forts all along the wall.

So, now you can answer these questions from the beginning of the lesson.

• Where is it?
• How long is it?
• Who built it?
• Which barbarians was it meant to keep out?

Roman Towns

In 47 AD, the Romans founded the town of Londinium (now London) and built a bridge across the River Thames.

Some other towns founded by the Romans are listed below.

• Venta Belgarum (now Winchester)
• Mamucium (now Manchester)
• Leodis (now Leeds)
• Isca Dumnoniorum (now Exeter)
• Durovernum Cantiacorum (now Canterbury)
• Deva Victrix (now Chester)

The map below shows Roman Britain's towns, roads, walls, and the forts where the legions were stationed.

Architecture

The ruins of several Roman buildings show us some of their skill and creativity with underground heating systems, intricate tile floors, and elaborate gardens complete with fountains and marble statues.

One example is the Palace at Fishbourne, the largest Roman home discovered in Britain. It's now a museum that visitors can explore!

Here is how the palace looked in Roman times.

Inside, you can still see the beautiful mosaic floors and the re-created gardens.

Queen Boudica's Rebellion

While many of the Celts in Britain surrendered, some could not accept the rule of the Romans. One of them was Boudica.

In 60 AD, Queen Boudica gathered 100,000 warriors and headed to the Roman capital at Camulodunum (now Colchester).

She also led an attack on Londinium (now London) and Verulamium (now St. Albans). However, at the Battle of Watling Street, Queen Boudica was defeated.

Watch the video below to learn more about this Celtic queen.

By 77 AD, the Romans had conquered Britain, and the Britons were forced to take on Roman ways.

End of Roman Rule in Britain

The Romans left Britain in 410 AD and did not return. Emperor Honorius famously wrote a letter telling the Britons that the Roman soldiers were being called home and that they had to defend themselves from then on!

Now, roam over to the Got It? section, where you'll test your knowledge of Roman Britain and plan a trip to visit Hadrian's Wall!