Roman Britain | aaarticle.com

Roman Britain was the province of Britannia, held from the invasion of AD 43 until the legions withdrew around 410. Hadrian's Wall marked the empire's northern frontier.

Overview

Claudius launched the conquest in AD 43, and most of what is now England and Wales became the province of Britannia. Boudica’s revolt burned Londinium, Colchester, and St Albans in 60–61 before being crushed; the north was never fully subdued, and Hadrian’s Wall (begun 122) fixed the frontier.

Key developments

Towns with forums and baths, a road network, villas, and Latin literacy took root, and Londinium became the provincial capital. Christianity spread in the third and fourth centuries alongside older cults.

End and transition

As the empire weakened, raids by Picts, Scots, and Saxons intensified. The legions were withdrawn to defend the continent, and around 410 the emperor Honorius told the Britons to see to their own defense — the conventional end of Roman Britain.