ROMAN BRITAIN

Summary

The Romans were the first to provide a unity for Britain. All the following generation strove to imitate the glory of Roman empire. Besides, Roman culture affected greatly the culture of British people.
The Roman state invaded Britain in 44 A.D., under the command of Claudius. Probably, Claudius ordered the conquest of Britain to secure the support of the Senate and the population. Britain had been already invaded twice by Julius Caesar in 55 and 54 BC, but he had had to interrupt the conquest to fight a revolt in Gaul. Caesar had invaded Britain for the same purpose of Claudius; a military victory gave great prestige and power, which increased politic importance.
Under the command of Aulus Plautius Romans returned in Britain. After the landing, they fought and win the Catuvellauni, whose leader later rallied the Welsh tribes on a new anti-Roman front. Meanwhile, the queen of the Iceni tribe Boudicca started a revolt that came close to expelling the invaders. Under the provincial governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola, the Romans occupied northern Britain in 84 AD.
After the conquest, some Roman troops were moved from Britain to defend other parts of the empire. Therefore, they built walls and forts along the frontier to defend the territory, defining a line between civilization and barbarians.
In the northern zone of Roman Britain, things did not change a lot. On the contrary, the lowland zone was highly romanised. Celtic earthworks were redesigned as Roman towns and Roman customs began to spread. The people in charge were still local; indeed the Roman invaders promised to preserve their power on condition that they ruled the territory on Rome's behalf and they romanised their culture.
The end of the conquests marked the end of the Roman empire. There was not enough wealth to defend such big territory. In the meantime, Rome's enemies (the Germans) were getting stronger. By the mid-third century AD, all the resources were spent on defence. Besides, the Roman emperors of the later empire did not manage the situation. They, along with Christianity, aimed to centralize and streamline the administration. But government policy generated little enthusiasm and society became apathetic.
Britain was repeatedly raided - by Anglo-Saxons in the south east, Irish in the west, and Picts in the north. When Italy itself was attacked, troops were withdrawn to defend the homeland. By about 425 AD, Britain had ceased to be in any sense Roman. After the empire, Britain entered an age of turmoil and uncertainty.