PART 2: THE ROMAN INVASION THE CONQUEST OF BRITAIN Four legions of about 24,000 legionaries and auxiliary troops commanded by Aulus Plautius landed at Richborough in Kent in AD 43. They fought their way to the River Thames and paused to wait for the emperor’s arrival in time for the final victory. Elephants Arrive in Britain! Emperor Claudius arrived with his nobles, relatives, a Boudica told of the ill treatment she and her Praetorian Guard, his doctor and a troop of elephants! daughters suffered at the hands of the Roman The army, now under Claudius’s command, attacked soldiers, this made it easy the stronghold at Colchester. After defeating the for her to stir a revolt Britons, Claudius, a shy, stammering man received against the the surrender of a number of tribes. He returned to Romans. Rome and celebrated his victory with a ‘Triumph’, or victory parade. Deadly Missile Attack Aulus Plautius now sent his legions off to conquer three different areas of Britain, leaving one legion in reserve at Colchester. In the south west major Horrible Slaughter strongholds, such as the hill fort called Maiden The Britons attacked Colchester and burned it to Castle in Dorset, were captured. Using their ballista’s, the ground, killing the people who had hidden in which were powerful catapults firing deadly bolts, a new temple dedicated to the emperor Claudius. they bombarded the castle with missiles. Then the They defeated a legion and attacked the rich port Romans attacked, possibly in a ‘tortoise’ formation of London. Afterwards they burned St Albans. of overlapping shields for protection. They burned The Roman Governor Paulinus, who had come the wooden gates and stormed inside the fort. At from Wales with a cavalry unit, had to wait for Hod Hill, a hill fort north of Maiden Castle, they two legions to arrive to stop the slaughter. They used a ballista to fire at the chieftain’s house, causing met the Britons somewhere in the Midlands, but the Britons to surrender. the Romans were heavily outnumbered. The End of the Druids The Battle By AD 60 southern and central Britain had been Queen Boudica raced her wicker chariot up subdued and a network of forts was set up. A Druid and down the British lines waving her spear and stronghold on the island of Anglesey in Wales was spurring on her warriors. Then she withdrew to the attacked, the Druids were slaughtered and their rear. The Britons charged, but were unable to break sacred meeting places were destroyed. through the Roman line and were cut down by showers of spears. The Romans advanced, hacking Queen Boudica at the Britons with their short swords, whilst The Roman invasion of Britain was interrupted Roman cavalry attacked from the sides. Boudica’s by a woman, Queen Boudica. This was a Roman army fled, but they were trapped by the line of version of her real name. She came from Norfolk wagons and chariots belonging to their watching and became leader of her tribe, the Iceni, when her families. Boudica killed herself by taking poison husband died. He had made a treaty with the rather than risk being captured by the Romans. Romans and had left his land to his two daughters and the Emperor Nero. However, when he died the The Roman historian Tacitus claimed that 80,000 Romans took possession of all of the chieftains’ Britons fell, but only 400 Romans died. The conquest lands. Roman settlers had also driven out many of of Britain continued and by AD 79 England and the Britons. Wales were under Roman control, with a network of roads and forts in place. By AD 82 southern Scotland was also conquered. 5 Novantae Votadini, Selgovae and Caledonians CelticBritons Warriors vs Romans Brigantes The Britons did not wear much armour, but carried a bronze or wooden shield with a ‘boss’, which was a metal or wooden dome covering the hand grip. They had long iron swords Cornovii and lime washed their hair to look like a horse’s mane. Their skin was tattooed with a blue dye called woad. Ordovices Iceni Catuvellauni Trinovantes Demetae Dobunni Britons were very skilful in the use of light chariots. Silures Julius Caesar said that they used them to get to a Atrebates Cantiaci battle quickly and then fought on foot. They could Durotriges run up and down the chariot pole with ease. Dumnonii Map showing the Celtic tribes living in Britain.
Some legionaries owned richly decorated swords like this one found in Germany
Roman Soldiers The centurion wore a coat of mail or scale armour, leg greaves, which were a bit like metal shin pads, and a helmet with a horse hair or feathered crest. He wore his sword on the opposite side to the legionary. The standard bearer was dressed in a similar way to the centurion, except that he wore a bear or wolf skin over his helmet. 6 FrontierA re-construction of part of Hadrian’s Life Wall showing a turret and a milecastle in the distance. The wall was constructed with turf, which was replaced by stone. It is 117km long and stretches from Wallsend-on-Tyne to Bowness-on-Solway. There were small milecastles along the wall and two turrets between each milecastle, as well as larger forts such as Housesteads. To the north of the wall there was a v-shaped ditch and to the south there was a wider ditch called a ‘vallum’ with two ramparts on either side of it. The wall was used until the 5th century.
A re-construction of Housesteads Roman fort on Hadrian’s Wall 2 1 Hadrian’s Wall 2 Gateways 6 6 6 6 6 3 Headquarters 7 4 Commander’s house 5 5 Granaries 4 6 Barracks for 1,000 men 2 7 Hospital 3 2 8 Toilets 6 6 6 9 Houses and gardens 10 6 6 10 Taverns and shops 8
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This is what happened to some of Rome’s enemies. CRIME SCENE! The remains of a ballista bolt have sliced through this poor warrior’s spine, whilst he was defending In the civilian settlement or ‘vicus’ outside Housesteads Maiden Castle. Fort are the remains of a house which was used as a shop in the 4th century AD. It had two rooms, one for business and one for living. When it was excavated in 1932, the remains of two bodies were found under the clay floor in the living room. The man and woman had been stabbed to death and the broken sword was still embedded in the man’s ribs. Activity Did You Know? Write a story using the clues and your imagination The ballista could shoot a 500g iron-tipped bolt to work out what happened in the house. Who 200 - 300m with deadly accuracy. They may were the victims, who committed the crime, even have had repeating ballista’s which could you decide? fire a bolt every five seconds! 8 Antonine Wall
The British Resistance Hadrian’s Wall Carlisle
York Anglesey Chester Lincoln
St Albans Colchester Caerleon Cirencester LondonLullingstone Bath Silchester Canterbury. Hod Hill PorchesterBignor Dover Maiden Castle FishbourneChichester. . .Dorchester . Richborough
Map showing major Roman roads, towns and sites in Britain
A Romano-British leader takes on a Saxon raider. This may have been how King Arthur looked, not the medieval look with a suit of armour popular with Hollywood movies. It is now thought that most of the invaders were allowed to settle peacefully and fighting was limited to the west of England. Gradually the Roman way of life disappeared as settlers brought back tribal living in wooden houses. Did You Know? I St George’s Day. St George, the Patron Saint Many of our annual celebrations are influenced by of England, was a Roman soldier serving in Roman customs. Israel who was martyred for his Christian faith.
I St Valentine’s Day cards were originally slips I May Day was a Roman festival to the goddess of paper with girls names on, which boys drew of flowering plants, Flora. She was honoured from an urn. by gathering flowers to put in her temple.
I Pancake Tuesday, although Christian in origin, I The date of Christmas and the tradition of giving may have borrowed an idea from the worship presents were Roman customs celebrating the of Fornax, goddess of ovens, when at that god Saturn. Saturn was the father of Jupiter and time of year little cakes were made. his name gives us Saturday. All the months of the year come from Roman names. 20