Download The Romans in Britain

The Romans
in
Britain
Jachym Fanta
Times before the Romans
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The Celts
Not unified, divided into tribes
fighting each other
More natural or native civilization
(X Romans - very technical civilization)
Roman Invasion
• 55 BC – Julius Caesar first
invaded Britain – to teach the
Britons a lesson - the Celts
supported the Gauls
• landed on the coast of Kent,
demonstrated his strength and
returned to Gaul (France)
• 54 BC – came back with more
soldiers (cavalery)
• Pax romana x no conquest
Roman Invasion
• 43 AD – Emperor Claudius invaded
Britain
• this time the Romans came to stay
• Celts – fierce fighting – till they
were captured
• Celts - friendly relations with the
Romans (kept their kingdoms)
Roman Invasion
• 47 AD – legions in SW
(Cornwall), West (Wales),
North (Humber river)
• Constructing a system of
military roads
• Londinium was founded
• 60 AD – borders had been
pushed further
Roman Invasion
• 61 AD queen Boudicca
launched an uprising
• almost managed to dislodge
the Romans
• was defeated and killed
• 77 AD Agricola became an
imperial governor
• he succeeded in conquering
the Welsh tribes
• Roman conquest of Britain
was complete except for
Caledonia (Scotland)
• he dreamt about conquering
Ireland, but that never
happened
Roman Invasion
• 122 AD – Roman Emperor
Hadrian built Hadrian‘s Wall –
between Roman Britain and
Scotland
• 6 years to build it, 117 km
long, forts
• it was built as a defence from
the Scottish Barbarians
• 142 AD – the Romans started
to build Antonine’s Wall
(Hadrian‘s successor
Antoninus Pius) further in the
north, but later abandoned
Picture of hadrian’s wall
Roman Invasion
• Britannia = England + Wales
• the Celts adapted to Roman
customs
• they lived in villas, spoke Latin
• the tribal centres developed into
Roman towns
• 216 AD Britain divided into two
provinces - Britannia Superior
(SW) and Britannia Inferior (N)
Romans Decline
• around 300 AD – the attack of the
barbarian hordes to the Roman
Empire in central Europe
• some troops withdrawn to help
• attacks in the Nothern Britain
from Scots, Irish and Picts
• 409 AD – last Roman soldiers
pulled out
• Romanised Celts left alone
• Gaul in the hands of barbarian
rulers in the 5th century – no
return of Romans to Britain
The Roman Influence
• Roads – straight, important for
Roman army
• Buildings:
– timber and daub – little
evidence nowadays
– stone, brick and tile
• Wealthy citizens:
– in the city – domus
– in the countryside – villas
• Lower class: flats – called
insulae
• New animals and plants
(chickens, chestnut trees)
Influences
• Towns:
– the Forum – a market place, businesses and
government offices, temples
– public baths, still in the city of Bath in Sommerset
– running water and sewers, aqueducts
– mosaics, pipes with water, central heating under the
floors in houses of rich people
– the biggest – London, Colchester, St. Albans
– latin word for camp – castra, chester in old English –
once a Roman town (Doncaster, Dorchester,
Cirencester)
Influences
• Language – many words are
based on Latin words, our
alphabet is based on Latin
alphabet
• The Calendar – started by
Julius Caesar, names of our
months taken from the names
of Roman gods and rulers
• Law and legal system
• Literacy
• Political unity
Roman dominion
By monty python
...and now for something
completely different
THE END