SLHS: Migrations Into Britain2: Romans
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Further Information..
A. Bretton
You may read excerpts from the definitive book:
How the fights against the Romans nearly succeeded:
A technical treatise of the influence of Breton on English:
B. Roman
Understanding the context of Indo-European Languages:
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Theatres ●
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Roman Invasion Of Britain
Whilst Julius Caesar had known (from 55BC) of Britain he was too preoccupied in wars with Gaul to consider invasion. In the years following some of the British tribes, such as the Atrebates of central southern Britain, developed political and trading relationships with Rome. Silchester, in Hampshire, had well organised streets and its people imported European wine, olive oil and manufactured goods. However further north tribes such as the Catuvellauni opposed any liaison. By the time of Christ it is suspected that Joseph Of Aramathea traded with Cornish tin miners.
With the European peoples finally subjugated, and Caligula murdered, famously Emperor Claudius took over but he was not in great physical shape. He was deaf, had a limp and later a stammer so he wanted to assert his new power. Thus in AD43 he assembled an army of 40,000 at Boulogne led by Aulus Plautius and invaded this fertile land with relative ease. Evidence is poor but the best guess is that they landed just south of Ramsgate in Kent.
Last update: 31/10/2024
Created: 16/08/2024
B. The First Organised Invasion Of Britain
The extent of Roman development in Britain
Survey of British tribes in AD150
Rebellion
Prasutagus was King of the eastern Iceni tribe (see map above). Their grain harvests made them very wealthy. Their lives were relatively well organised, they produced some of the earliest known British coins and their well trained army even had chariots. They were not happy with the Roman arrival. Famously in AD60 his Queen Boudicca, led a revolt. Wiki puts it like this:
“Boudicca destroyed Camulodunum [Colchester on map above right], it had been the capital of the Trinovante tribes, but at that time a colonia for discharged Roman soldiers. Upon hearing of the revolt, the Roman governor Suetonius Paulinus hurried from the island of Mona [Anglesey] to Londinium [London] the rebels' next target. Unable to defend it he abandoned it. Boudicca's army defeated Legio Hispana, and raised both Londinium and Verulamium [St Albans] to the ground. An estimated 70,000–80,000 Romans and Britons were killed by Boudica's followers. Suetonius, meanwhile, regrouped his forces possibly in the West Midlands, and despite being heavily outnumbered, he decisively defeated the Britons. Boudica died, by suicide or illness, shortly afterwards. This crisis caused Nero to consider withdrawing all his imperial forces from Britain but Suetonius's victory over Boudicca re-confirmed Roman control over the province.”
After a glorious funeral there is a stupid suggestion that Boudicca is buried underneath Platform 10 of Kings Cross Railway Station ! (see Further Information below)
Romanisation Of Britain
Thus the subjection of the tribes in the south continued relatively easily and life became good but in the north it was not to be. In the end agreements had to be made and the Roman threat of proven annihilation was held in abeyance if a continuing ‘tribute’ of precious metals, or well made goods, was paid to them. As they pushed into the island they had to build more roads and forts. The relative peace compared with continental Europe made it a place for leaders to enjoy their lives and they brought with them many goods and the exacting Latin language.
Rome’s affect on all countries that it ruled was unprecedented. It imposed new: laws, language, politics, trading, slavery, weights & measures, currency, titles and honours, housing, water supply, drainage & sanitation, road building, weaponry, military discipline, boat building, philosophy, science, mathematics, art, date & time keeping, culture and partial religion which was not exclusive.
(Please let the webmaster know if this book ceases to be readable for free)
Looking at the influences that invaders made on Britain and Stratford: 43-400
Latin
The Old Latin language is known from 750BC and is descended from Indo-European (see Further information below). Examples of words from Late Latin remaining in English are:
ad-hoc, bone-fide, vice-versa, et-cetera, per-se..
agenda, alibi, facsimile, altruism, mundane, acumen, ambiguous, atrocity, obvious, plausible, sacrosanct, tentative, ubiquity..
contra- inter- pre- re- sub- super- trans-
Hundreds of towns across Britain retain their Latin names (see map above right) but let’s not forget our own town:
Strait-
-ford
Effects On Language & Place Names
You are going to see this diagram on each of these pages that deal with our language. Let’s look at the subsequent effects of: Romans.
Strait- comes from the Latin: Strictus
-ford comes from Germanic: furt