Britain

The Roman Empire was arguably one of the most successful empires in all of human
history. The army was the core of the Roman state. In a few centuries, it had transformed Rome
from a small city-state into the greatest empire of antiquity. Rome had conquered many
countries, areas, and territories during its expansion. One of the countries included Britain.
The occupation of Britain took place in 43 AD, and it was considered a war of prestige.
First of all, Britain was an afterthought. It was not about economics. Rome's rulers were already
the richest men in history. Nor was it about military security. I believe that Rome just wanted to
show how much power they had. Another reason could be because war was profitable.
Often, new emperors and rulers tried to do whatever was necessary to prove themselves
as army commanders. Claudius, the new emperor, lacked support from his people. He was in
desperate need of a military victory in order to boost his public image. Claudius thought that
Britain would be a great place to prove himself. So during the Claudian invasion, he landed
40,000 soldiers in Britain under the command of Aulus Plautius.
A century before, in both 55 and 54 BC, Julius Caesar had invaded Britain with the aim
of taking it over. However the revolt in Gaul, which is modern-day France, had drawn him away
before he had taken down determined British resistance. Some also say he might have been
defeated by the weather in Britain.
Caesar actually went after Britain twice, in two consecutive years. The first year, in 55
BC, he invaded them while sending 12,000 soldiers into Britain. The British fought back and
eventually successfully resisted the Romans. The following year, he returned, but this time he
was more prepared. He sent 30,000 troops into Britain and successfully defeated them. However,

his success in Britain meant he would neglect Gaul. This motivated Gaul to rise up and rebel
against the Romans, which eventually led to Caesar having to move his troops back into Gaul
and put the rebellion down. Rome would not return to Britain for over 90 years.
Once the Romans invaded Britain again in AD 43, they sent 40,000 men. Many British
people believed that the power of the Roman army was too strong, and made peace with the
Romans. Many, however, tried to take on the power of the Roman army. These clashes were very
frequent and went on for many years. In some parts of Britain, Romans never actually gained full
control. Caratacus, the British resistance leader, was finally defeated in 51 AD. Though the
Romans had a strong army, they were often impressed by the skill and ferociousness of the
British. They had much skill in chariots.
Emperor Claudius died in 54 AD. He had an outstanding military reputation, and was
elevated as a God. His stepson, Nero, stepped up to the throne. It is written that Nero once
considered abandoning Britain because he believed it was taking up too many resources to hold
the country. He believed that Rome should have used the resources to expand the Roman
Empire. Many believe that he decided not to withdraw because it would throw away the
accomplishments achieved by Claudius.
In 61 AD, Boudicca, queen of the Iceni, led an attack on the Roman occupiers. She was
defeated and killed by the Roman governor, Suetonius Paulinus. The Romans had once again
successfully held their position in Rome.
Finally, around the years 75-77 AD, Wales had given up, and the Roman conquest of
Britain is complete. Julius Agricola was imperial governor at the time until 84 AD. In addition,

after a few years later, the construction of Hadrians Wall was made along the northern frontier
for the purpose of preventing attacks of aggressive tribes.

References:
http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/The-Romans-in-England/
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ancient-rome/the-romans-in-britain/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/
http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=conquest_roman_britain

Vince Morreale