Introduction

Countries are like people, have their own appearances, characters, biographies... All that determines their originality. Great Britain is an unforgettable and beautiful country, which has not only picturesque sceneries, but also mysterious history. In my opinion, one of the most exciting parts of Britain’s history is “Roman Britain”. Rome was the greatest empire which conquered many countries. British Isles didn’t escape the common lot and were defeated by the Romans.

We chose this topic because the invasion of Britain by the Roman Empire is of particular interest, both in terms of military strategy and in terms of impact on the further development of this state.

The object of our work is the British people and Britain in the after-Roman period.

The subject is

The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of the Roman occupation on the cultural life of the British.

The problems of our work are:

1) to explore the features of the invasion;

2) to characterize the life of the British during the colonial period ;

3) to analyze the influence of the Roman Empire on the development of the British culture and the nation in general.

4) to create an interactive map “Roman steps in Britain”

The hypothesis of our work is: The Roman colonization changed the way of Britain, raising its culture and architecture to a higher level.

We chose such theoretical methods of research as studying literature, internet articles and analyzing them, generalizing the information.

In our work we are going to describe Britain before the invasion of the Romans, the conquest of Britain itself. But we are more interested in the consequences of the Roman colonization. That’s why we are going to pay particular attention to the description of the Roman contribution to the development of the country.

Britain experienced almost four centuries under the control of the Roman Empire. The invasion was definitely one of the most significant events, which affected the language, the culture, the geography and the architecture of the British Isles. Britain grew from a Celtic nation full of tribes (that were often at war with each other) to a peaceful Roman province, populated by Romans, Britons, and foreigners. The island has a Roman name, its capital is a Roman city and for centuries the language of religion and administration was a Roman one.

The emphasis is made on the architectural monuments that can still be seen in the country. As not many of us have an opportunity to visit this wonderful country we decided to make an interactive map, where you can find the information of the most remarkable places, which prove that the Romans made a great impact on the development of the country.

The Main Part

I. The Invasion

Rome invaded Britain because it suited the careers of two men. The first of these was Julius Caesar. This great republican general had conquered Gaul and was looking for an excuse not to return to Rome. He wanted to gain the glory of a victory beyond the Great Ocean, and believed that Britain was full of silver and booty.

His first expedition with just two legions was too hastily organized and wasn’t very successful. In 54 BC, he tried again, this time with five legions, and managed to re-establishing Commius on the Atrebatic throne. Yet he returned to Gaul empty-handed, complaining in a letter to Cicero that there was no silver or booty to be found in Britain after all.

Almost a century later Claudius was made emperor in a palace coup. And surely he needed to consolidate his hold on power by the prestige of military conquest. Like Caesar, Claudius was too self-confident and he seized his chance. In AD 43, four Roman legions cross the sea to invade Britain. They landed at Richborough and moved towards the River Medway, where they met with tough resistance. However, the young general Vespasian forced the river with his legion supported by a group of 'Celts', and the British were defeated.

Claudius entered Britain in triumph. He founded a temple in Colchester (the Catuvellaunian capital), containing a fine bronze statue of himself, and established a legionary fortress. He stayed in Britain for only 16 days.

It took 30 more years to conquer the rest of the island (except the Highlands). Once in, Rome was prepared to defend the new acquisition to the death. So Britain was invaded not for its wealth, not for strategic reasons, but for the plain and simple reason that it furthered a politician's career. Some say that Rome conquered an empire in a fit of absent-mindedness.