The Roman invasion to Britain.

The invasion to Britain. 

Around 2,000 years ago, Britain was ruled by tribes of people called the Celts. But this was about to change. For around a century, the Roman army had been building an Empire across Europe. Now it was coming for Britain!

In AD43, the full might of the Roman army landed on the beaches in Kent. Over the next year it battled inland, storming through hillforts and chopping down anyone who stood in their way.

The Romans wanted Britain's precious metals. They called the land ‘Britannia’, which meant 'land of tin'. However, they weren't just a destructive force - they built new forts, new settlements and roads . They spread their culture, language and laws.  

When the Romans invaded, the Celtic tribes had to decide whether or not to fight back. If they made peace, they agreed to obey Roman laws and pay taxes. In return, they could keep their kingdoms. However, some Celtic leaders chose to fight. After years of heavy taxes and the Romans taking their land, some Celtic tribes were desperate for revenge. In AD60, one leader who chose to fight was Queen Boudicca of the Iceni tribe. She raised a huge army and went on a rampage, burning the Roman towns of Colchester and London, before heading north to St Albans.

When the Roman army heard about this, they turned back from their campaign in Wales to face Boudicca. Even though the Romans were outnumbered by Boudicca's 200,000 warriors, they were better trained and had better armour. Both sides clashed in a fierce battle, but the Romans won.

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• How was Britain like before Roman Invasion?

Before Roman times 'Britain' was just a geographical entity, and had no political meaning, and no single cultural identity. Arguably this remained generally true until the 17th century, when James I of England and VI of Scotland sought to establish a pan-British monarchy.

Throughout recorded history the island has consisted of multiple cultural groups and identities. Many of these groupings looked outwards, across the seas, for their closest connections - they did not necessarily connect naturally with their fellow islanders, many of whom were harder to reach than maritime neighbours in Ireland or continental Europe.

It therefore makes no sense to look at Britain in isolation; we have to consider it with Ireland as part of the wider 'Atlantic Archipelago', nearer to continental Europe and, like Scandinavia, part of the North Sea world.

• What was the main reason of the Roman Invasion to Britain? 

The Romans invaded Britain in order to gain access to its mineral wealth and agricultural fields, and to prevent a regrouping and counterattack by the recently-conquered Gauls who had escaped the Roman armies by fleeing to the island. Roman military leaders were often enthusiastic about conquering new territories because it provided them with wealth that could be used to pay for the loyalty of their troops and to bribe officials back in Rome to further their careers. Although Julius Caesar's first two invasions between 55 and 54 B.C. were primarily intended as a preemptive strike against a Gaulish stronghold on the inland, it was not until about 100 years later that a full-scale Roman invasion led to an occupation that lasted almost 400 years.

Roman Soldier

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