Welcome back, time travellers!
Yesterday we visited the Stone Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age. The last people we met were the Celts, who lived in hill forts.
Today, we meet some new visitors. They came in big ships from far away. They wore red cloaks and shiny helmets. They were the Romans!
Who were the Romans?
The Romans came from Italy. Their main city was Rome. They built a huge empire — that is a group of countries ruled by one leader.
The Roman Empire was massive. It went all the way from Spain to Egypt, from Germany to Africa. The Romans wanted Britain too.
Julius Caesar comes to Britain (55 BC and 54 BC)
The first Roman to come to Britain was a famous general called Julius Caesar.
- He came in 55 BC, with a small army.
- The British weather was bad. Many of his ships were broken in storms.
- He went home and came back a year later, in 54 BC, with a bigger army.
- He fought some Celtic tribes and made friends with others.
- Then he went home again. He did not stay.
So in 54 BC, Britain was still ruled by the Celts. But the Romans had not forgotten about it.
Claudius takes over (43 AD)
About 100 years later, a new emperor of Rome was called Claudius.
In 43 AD, he sent 40,000 Roman soldiers to Britain. This time the Romans stayed. They became the rulers of most of Britain.
The Romans called this part of their empire Britannia.
What did the Romans bring?
The Romans were very clever builders and engineers. They brought many new things to Britain:
| What the Romans brought | What it was for |
|---|---|
| Roads | Long, straight stone roads to travel quickly |
| Towns | Big stone towns like London, York and Bath |
| Bath houses | Hot pools to wash and meet friends |
| Central heating | Warm floors, called a hypocaust |
| Writing | Latin letters (the alphabet we use today!) |
| Money | Coins with the emperor’s face |
| Forts | Strong stone forts for soldiers |
A lot of the things we still do today come from the Romans. Even the word “street” comes from a Roman word!
Boudica — the warrior queen
Not all Britons liked the Romans. The Romans took Celtic land and made the Celts pay big taxes.
One brave queen said, “No more!”
Her name was Boudica (say “Boo-dik-a”). She was the queen of a tribe called the Iceni, in the east of England.
In 60 AD or 61 AD, Boudica gathered a huge army. She fought back hard.
- She burned down London (which was a small Roman town then)
- She burned down Colchester
- She burned down St Albans
She killed many Roman soldiers. But in the end, the Roman army was too strong. Boudica lost the last battle.
Today there is a big statue of Boudica in her chariot near the Houses of Parliament in London. She is a hero of British history.
Hadrian’s Wall (122 AD)
The Romans tried to take all of Britain, but they could not beat the people in the far north (in what is now Scotland). The northern tribes were very fierce.
So a Roman emperor called Hadrian had a big idea. He said: “Let’s build a wall!”
In 122 AD, the Romans started building Hadrian’s Wall.
- It is 73 miles long (117 km)
- It crosses the whole north of England, from sea to sea
- It is made of stone, with forts every mile
- Roman soldiers lived along it to keep watch
Some of the wall is still there today. You can walk along it! Many British schools take Year 3 or Year 4 classes there for a school trip.
Roman daily life
A Roman in Britain might:
- Wake up in a stone house with a tiled roof
- Wash in a public bath house
- Wear a long shirt called a tunic, with a toga for special days
- Eat bread, cheese, fruit, fish and lots of vegetables
- Travel on stone roads in a cart pulled by horses
- Go to a big arena to watch fights
When did the Romans leave?
In 410 AD, the Roman Empire was getting weak. Romans needed all their soldiers back in Italy. So they left Britain.
The Romans had been in Britain for almost 400 years. That is a very long time — about 16 generations!
After they left, Britain changed a lot. New people came from across the sea. We will meet them tomorrow.
Fun facts
- A Roman soldier had to carry his own backpack — sometimes 40 kg! That is heavier than a Year 3 child.
- Roman children played with dolls, toy soldiers and a hoop game (rolling a metal hoop with a stick).
- Romans LOVED fish sauce called garum. It smelled very strong!
- The road called Watling Street goes from Dover to Wroxeter. The Romans built it. Some of our roads today follow exactly the same path!
Words to remember
- Empire: a group of countries ruled by one leader
- Emperor: the leader of an empire
- Britannia: the Roman name for Britain
- Iceni: Boudica’s Celtic tribe
- Toga: a long Roman cloak
- Hypocaust: Roman hot floors (under-floor heating!)
Talk about it
- The Romans built straight roads. Why are straight roads useful for an army?
- Boudica burned three towns. Was she a hero or not? What do you think?
- Why did the Romans build Hadrian’s Wall? Could you do that today?
- The Romans left in 410 AD. How would Britain feel after they were gone?
Quick summary
- The Romans came from Italy.
- Julius Caesar visited in 55 BC and 54 BC but did not stay.
- Claudius invaded in 43 AD and the Romans stayed.
- Boudica of the Iceni fought back in 60 AD. She lost in the end.
- Hadrian’s Wall was built in 122 AD to keep the northern tribes out.
- The Romans left in 410 AD.
Next article
Tomorrow we meet new people from across the sea. They are the Anglo-Saxons. We will visit a king’s grave called Sutton Hoo. See you then!