Rome Arrives
Britain Before English
Course 1 · Chapter 6 · Rome Arrives
Caesar left in 54 BC without a garrison (Chapter 4). Nearly a century later Rome came to stay. This chapter follows the conquest from AD 43, the revolt of the Iceni, the campaigns in the north, and the two frontier walls. For most of it we depend on Roman writers, and the sources say how far to trust them.
The invasion of AD 43
The article says Claudius sent a force under Aulus Plautius, with a stated pretext of restoring the exiled Atrebatic king Verica. The number of legions is unclear, and only Legio II Augusta, under Vespasian, is directly attested.
| Question | What the article says |
|---|---|
| Landing place | Traditionally Rutupiae (Richborough, Kent); the article notes this and the departure port (Boulogne) are uncertain, and some historians propose a landing near the Solent |
| Resistance | Caratacus and Togodumnus, sons of Cunobeline, led the Catuvellauni; Togodumnus died after the Thames battle; Caratacus escaped west and was defeated about AD 50 and handed over by Cartimandua |
| Client kings | Southern tribes such as the Atrebates already had Roman client ties; Cogidubnus later emerged as a Roman ally and ruler |
| Claudius | Suetonius says the Britons surrendered "without battle or bloodshed", but the article says the claim that Claudius was a military leader is doubtful, and some claims, such as elephants, are doubted |
The Catuvellauni, Cunobeline and the kings of Chapter 4's coins connect: the article calls Caratacus and Togodumnus Cunobeline's sons, and Chapter 4 named Cunobelinos as the king minting at Camulodunum.
Boudica's revolt
According to Wikipedia's Boudica article, she was a queen of the Iceni (in what is now Norfolk and nearby counties) and the wife of King Prasutagus, a nominally independent Roman ally. He left his kingdom jointly to his two daughters and to Nero. After his death in AD 60 or 61, Rome ignored the will and annexed the kingdom. The two ancient accounts of the cause differ: Tacitus says Boudica was flogged and her daughters assaulted, and Dio cites recalled loans and confiscations by the procurator Catus Decianus.
- Camulodunum (Colchester): rebels captured the veterans' colony; survivors sheltering in the Temple of Claudius were killed after two days, and a relief force under Quintus Petillius Cerialis was destroyed.
- Londinium (London): governor Suetonius Paulinus, outnumbered, abandoned the town, and rebels burned it after killing those who remained.
- Verulamium (St Albans): also sacked, though the extent of the destruction is unclear.
- Deaths: Tacitus and Dio both give about 80,000, and the lead gives an estimate of 70,000 to 80,000 Romans and Britons.
- The end: Paulinus gathered about 10,000 men and won decisively from a narrow pass. Tacitus says Boudica poisoned herself; Dio says she fell ill and died. The article notes the accounts are not necessarily exclusive. The site of the battle is unidentified.
- The name: thought to derive from a Brythonic word meaning "victory". Dio wrote "Buduica", Tacitus added a second c, and medieval copying produced "Boadicea". The name may have been an honorific, so her birth name is unknown.
The Roman conquest article places Paulinus's attack on Anglesey, a stronghold of the druids, in AD 60, and says the revolt delayed the conquest of Wales. The British Iron Age article says no archaeological evidence of Druidry survives (Chapter 4).
Agricola and the north
The article says Agricola (AD 78 to 84) completed the conquest of Wales, moved into northern England and southern Scotland, and advanced into Caledonia. He defeated Calgacus's forces at Mons Graupius in AD 83 or 84. Afterwards Rome withdrew from the far north, and by about AD 87 the Stanegate was the frontier. The Caledonians return in Chapter 8.
Hadrian's Wall
According to Wikipedia's Hadrian's Wall article, construction began in AD 122. It was probably planned before Hadrian's visit that year, so the visit is not the start date itself. The wall ran about 80 Roman miles (73 modern miles, 117 km) from Wallsend on the Tyne to Bowness-on-Solway, entirely in England.
- Building: first planned as a stone wall about 10 Roman feet wide, narrowed to 8 feet in the eastern half; the western section was turf at first and later rebuilt in stone. Three legions and some fleet personnel did most of the work over about six years.
- Garrison: large forts of about 600 men, milecastles of about 12 to 20, and turrets; when fully manned it held almost 10,000 soldiers, mostly auxiliaries.
- Purpose: mainly a barrier to slow raiders, with gates that let Rome monitor and tax movement. Archaeologist Neil Faulkner calls it "as much a propaganda statement as a functional facility". Scholars debate how serious the threat was.
- Vindolanda: a supply fort behind the wall.
The Antonine Wall
Wikipedia's Antonine Wall article says construction began in AD 142 under Antoninus Pius. It ran about 63 km across Scotland's Central Belt, from Old Kilpatrick on the Clyde to Carriden on the Forth, a turf rampart on stone foundations, meant to replace Hadrian's Wall as the frontier. The article gives two timelines for abandonment (eight years after completion, and "within two decades", with the legions withdrawing in 162) and two fort counts (16, and 19). It does not reconcile them, and neither do I. It gives no single clear cause for abandonment: the Romans never conquered the Caledonians, the wall suffered many attacks, and they may have reached an accommodation with local tribes.
| Date | Event (per the articles) |
|---|---|
| AD 43 | Invasion under Plautius |
| c. AD 50 | Caratacus defeated |
| AD 60 or 61 | Anglesey attacked; Boudica's revolt |
| AD 78 to 84 | Agricola's campaigns; Mons Graupius in 83 or 84 |
| c. AD 87 | The Stanegate is the frontier |
| AD 122 | Hadrian's Wall begun |
| AD 142 | Antonine Wall begun |
| AD 162 / 164 | Antonine Wall abandoned (the article's later date); the garrison returns to Hadrian's Wall in 164 (Hadrian's Wall) |
| AD 208 to 211 | Septimius Severus campaigns, dies at York |
Words to know
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Legion | The main Roman army unit of citizen soldiers |
| Auxiliary | A soldier from the provinces serving alongside the legions |
| Client king | A local ruler allied to and dependent on Rome |
| Procurator | A Roman official in charge of finance in a province |
| Milecastle | A small fort at intervals along Hadrian's Wall |
| Epitome | A shortened version of a larger work; Dio's account survives mainly in one |
✏️ Try It Yourself
Think of the answer first, then click to check.
1. Who sent the invasion of AD 43, and who led it?
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Emperor Claudius sent it, under Aulus Plautius.
2. Where did the invasion land, and how sure is that?
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Traditionally at Rutupiae (Richborough), but the article notes this is uncertain and some propose the Solent.
3. Who was Boudica and what began her revolt?
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A queen of the Iceni, wife of Prasutagus. After his death in AD 60 or 61 Rome annexed the kingdom despite his will; Tacitus and Dio give different accounts of what was done to her and her people.
4. Which three towns were destroyed in the revolt?
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Camulodunum (Colchester), Londinium (London) and Verulamium (St Albans).
5. Why should you be careful with the numbers and speeches in accounts of the revolt?
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They come from Tacitus and Dio; Dio wrote about 140 years later and is often fictitious, and the speeches given to Boudica were invented.
6. Where was Mons Graupius fought, and who was Agricola's opponent?
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In Caledonia, against Calgacus's forces, in AD 83 or 84. The article does not give the site.
7. Compare Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall: dates and length.
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Hadrian's Wall: begun in AD 122, about 117 km from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway. Antonine Wall: begun in AD 142, about 63 km from the Clyde to the Forth.
8. What was Hadrian's Wall for, according to the article?
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Mainly a physical barrier to slow raiders, with gates to monitor and tax movement, and a propaganda statement of imperial power; scholars debate how serious the threat was.