Roman Britain Roman Britain is called parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410. The Romans referred to their province as Britannia. Before the Roman invasion, Iron Age Britain already had cultural and economic links with Continental Europe, but the invaders introduced new methods in agriculture, urbanization, industry and architecture, leaving a legacy that is still apparent today.

The Roman Invasion -The first direct Roman contact came when the Roman general and future dictator, Julius Caesar, made two expeditions to Britain in 55 and 54 BC. - The expedition was a military failure, but was at least a political success: the Roman Senate declared a 20-day public holiday in Rome in honour of this unprecedented issue. - The invasion force in 43 AD was led by Aulus Plautius. It was a soldiers (=4 legions) - The Romans defeated the Catuvellauni and their allies in two battles: the first a Richborough landing, in a battle on the river Medway, the second on the Thames. Plautius stopped at the Thames and sent for Claudius, who arrived with reinforcements, including artillery and elephants, for the final march to the Catuvellaunian capital - Camulodunum (Colchester). Vespasian took control of the southwest, Cogidubnus was set up as a friendly king of several territories, and treaties were made with tribes outside the area under direct Roman control.

- In the following years, the Romans conquered more of the island, increasing the size of Roman Britain. Governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola, father-in-law to the historian Tacitus, conquered the Ordovices in 78 AD. With the XXth Valeria Victrix legion, Agricola defeated the Caledonians in 84 AD at the Battle of Mons Graupius, in what is today northern Scotland. This marked the high tide mark of Roman territory in Britain; shortly after his victory, Agricola was recalled from Britain back to Rome. - For much of the history of Roman Britain, a large number of soldiers were garrisoned on the island. This required that the emperor station a trusted senior man as governor of the province. As a side-effect of this, many future emperors served as governors or legates in this province, including Vespasian, Pertinax, and Gordian I.

Occupation of the southern Scotland - A new crisis was at the beginning of Hadrian's reign (about 117 AD), a rising in the north. This crisis was suppressed by Quintus Pompeius Falco. - When Hadrian reached Britannia on his famous tour of the Roman provinces around 120 AD, he directed an extensive defensive wall, known as Hadrian's Wall, to be built close to the line of the Stanegate frontier. Hadrian appointed Aulus Platorius Nepos as governor to undertake this work who brought the VIth Victrix legion with him from Lower Germany. This replaced the famous IXth Hispana legion, whose disappearance has been much discussed. Hadrian's Wall viewed from Vercovicium

- The first Antonine occupation of Scotland ended after crisis in AD, when the Brigantes revolted. - Within a year the Antonine Wall was reoccupied, but by 163 or 164 AD it was left. - The Romans didn´t leave the Scotland at this time, however; the large fort at Newstead was maintained along with seven smaller outposts until at least 180 AD.

End of Roman rule - The leaving of some sites is now believed to be later than had formerly been thought. Many buildings changed use but were not destroyed. There were growing barbarian attacks, but these were focused on rural settlements rather than towns. - Urban life had generally grown less intense by the fourth quarter of the fourth century, and coins minted between 378 and 388 are very rare, indicating a likely combination of economic decline, diminishing numbers of troops, and problems with the payment of soldiers and officials. - By 407 there were no new Roman coins going into circulation, and by 430 it is likely that coinage as a medium of exchange had been abandoned. Pottery mass production probably ended a decade or two previously; the rich continued to use metal and glass vessels, while the poor probably adopted leather or wooden ones.

Religion Pagan -The Druids, who were a sort of super-class of priests, political advisors, teachers, healers, and arbitrators among the Celtic tribes, were outlawed by Claudius, and in 61 they vainly defended their sacred groves from destruction by the Romans on the island of Mona (Anglesey). However, under Roman rule the Britons can continued to worship native Celtic gods, such as Ancasta, but then they was associated with their Roman equivalents. Christianity - It is not clear when or how Christianity came to Britain. A second century „word square“ has been discovered in Mamucium, the Roman settlement of Manchester. It is an anagram of PATER NOSTER carved on a piece of amphora. There has been discussion by academics whether the „word square“ is actually a Christian artefact, but if it is, it is one of the earliest examples of early Christianity in Britain. - The earliest confirmed written evidence for Christianity in Britain is a statement by Tertullian.

Legacy of Romans - During their occupation of Britain the Romans built an extensive network of roads which continued to be used in later centuries and many are still followed today. - The Romans also built water supply, sanitation and sewage systems. - Many of Britain's cities, such as London (Londinium), Manchester (Mamucium) and York (Eburacum), were founded by the Romans. - Significant Germanic migration to Britain seems to have taken place only after the coming of the Romans. The Germanic speakers came originally as Roman auxiliary troops to support the Romans in their conquest of the Celts.