This is my wiki site about London which will also link to the current pub history site
The first person to visit Britain was Julius Caesar, in 55 BC. He visited with two legions, and 80 ships. The following year he returned with 800 ships and thirty or forty thousand men.
I am starting to think about the Roman London as it existed, and the fact that initially there was probably not much to actually reference. In fact, Londinium as it was to become known, was in fact just a marshy area with some natural features making it of interest as a staging post. I am also of the belief it was also named Augusta, and I will dwell on this more as I proceed.
It is generally perceived that it was ninety years after Julius Caesar that Londinium was first to become an Roman outpost. It had a river, the Thames, which allowed access from the sea; and it also had several rivers which performed natural boundaries north of the Thames, i.e. the River Walbrook and the River Fleet ; both of these are now hidden deep underground.
To truly visualize London in Roman times, a visit to the Museum of London, near to the Barbican, is an excellent day out. It is also competely free to enter, and very accessible. Their Docklands Museum is also hosting a new exhibition in May, about unearthing London's secret rivers.
From AD43, the Emperor Claudius invaded Britain, leading to battles at the Medway, in Kent, and then towards London and the Thames. The Roman Empire slowly spread throughout Britain; including Colchester, at about the same time.
The Romans were initially allied with the local tribes of England, e.g. the Iceni of Norfolk, but this changed; and about AD 60, Boadicea revolted and attacked first Colchester (Camulodunum), and then London - burning both to the ground, and killing many thousands. The Roman Legionaries, led by Suetonius, regrouped and at Watling street (the old Roman road), attacked the might of the Britons, and had a remarkable victory against overwhelming odds. Boadicea later died, maybe of poisoning.
And Last updated on: Friday, 15-Sep-2023 12:28:03 BST