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Sub-Roman Britain is the period of late antiquity in Great Britain between the end of Roman rule and the Anglo-Saxon settlement. The term was originally used to describe archaeological remains found in 5th- and 6th-century AD sites that hinted at the decay of locally made wares from a previous higher standard under the Roman Empire .
Roman Britain was the territory that became the Roman province of Britannia after the Roman conquest of Britain, consisting of a large part of the island of Great Britain. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410.
The Romano-British culture arose in Britain under the Roman Empire following the Roman conquest in AD 43 and the creation of the province of Britannia. It arose as a fusion of the imported Roman culture with that of the indigenous Britons , a people of Celtic language and custom.
"Sub-Roman Britain" is a label applied by specialists to Britannia in the fifth and sixth centuries AD. Geographically, Britannia is that territory south of the Forth-Clyde line that was part of the Roman Empire from AD 43 to 410.
- Britain Before Rome
- Caesar's Campaign
- Claudius' Invasion
- Revolts & Consolidation
- Romanization
- Agricola's Campaign
- Hadrian's Wall & The Antonine Wall
- 3Rd-4Th-Century Developments
- Abandonment & Aftermath
At the time of the Roman arrival, Britain (originally known as Albion) was mostly comprised of small Iron Age communities, primarily agrarian, tribal, with enclosed settlements. Southern Britain shared their culture with northern Gaul (modern-day France and Belgium); many southern Britons were Belgae in origin and shared a common language with them...
Although Julius Caesar's presence did not result in conquest, it was this intense trade – some claim it was partly ego – that brought the Roman commander across the Channel in both 55 and 54 BCE. Previously, the Channel, or Mare Britannicum, had always served as a natural border between the European mainland and the islands. During his subjugation ...
With the assassination of Julius Caesar and the civil war that followed, the Republic was no more, and the new Roman Empire's interest in Britannia intensified under both emperors Augustus and Caligulaas the Romanization of Gaul progressed. While Augustus' attentions were drawn elsewhere, Caligula and his army stared across the Channel towards the ...
There was, however, considerable resistance; the Britons were not about to quit without a fight. Caratacus, a member of the Catuvellauni, rallied considerable support in Wales only to be captured in 51 CE. After his defeat, he escaped and made his way to a region controlled by Brigantes whose queen quickly turned him over to the Romans. He and his ...
The Battle of Watling Street was the last serious threat to Roman authority in the lowlands. Aside from his victory against Boudicca, in his desire to strengthen Roman presence, Paulinus also eliminated the Druid stronghold at Anglesey; the Druid religion had always been considered a threat to the Romans and their imperial cult. Accordingly, the go...
From 77 to 83 CE the military commander Gnaeus Julius Agricola – ironically the father-in-law of Tacitus – served as governor. It was not Agricola's first time In Britain. He had served there as a young man on Suetonius Paulinus' staff as a military tribune. In his On Britain and Germany,the historian wrote about Agricola's previous stay in Britain...
Unfortunately, his success would not go unnoticed by Domitian, who, in a fit of jealousy, recalled Agricola. The territory he had long desired to the north, Scotland, would not be fully conquered for years to come. Eventually, a 73 mile (118 km) long stone and turf wall would be built between the province of Britain and barbarian territories under ...
Further changes soon came to the island. In order to rule more efficiently, the island was divided in half, Britannia Superior governed from London, and Britannia Inferior governed from York (Eboracum). Emperor Diocletianwould later divide the province into four separate regions. Because of Diocletian's tetrarchy, Britain was then placed under the ...
However, along with the arrival of Christianity, by the end of the 4th century CE, Rome was having trouble maintaining control of Britain. After Alaric's sack of Rome in 410 CE, the western half of the empire began to undergo significant changes; Spain, Britain, and the better part of Gaul would soon be lost. The eastern half of the empire, based i...
- Donald L. Wasson
'Sub-Roman' and 'post-Roman' are both terms that apply to the old Roman province of Britannia, that is Britain south of the Forth-Clyde line. The history of control of the area between Hadrian's Wall and the Forth-Clyde line is unclear.
An introduction to Roman Britain. Roman administration in Britain lasted about 370 years – the same length of time as between now and the end of the English Civil Wars in 1651. It was a complex era of frequent change, which spanned the reigns of more than 80 emperors and saw periods of peace, prosperity and expansion, as well as times of ...
