Roman London
Where To See Roman London
I. Invasion & Expansion
London has been inhabited in one form or another
for over two thousand years. When Julius Caesar's
Roman army invaded England in 55 BC, a small settlement
of Celtic tribesmen lived on the north bank of the
River Thames. Less than a century later - following
the conquests of the Emperor Claudius' armies - the
Romans had established the garrison port of Londinium
nearby. The port was soon to become a bustling city
of merchants, soldiers, and citizens.
This early London got off to an inauspicious start,
being razed to the ground and its inhabitants put
to the sword by Queen Boadicea of the local Iceni
tribe less than 20 years after it's foundation. Military
and economic imperatives soon led to the rebuilding
of Londinium, as the Romans consolidated their
hold on England and established an infrastructure
to administer this new province of the Empire.
The riverside port of Londinium soon gained in
prominence as Roman galleys sailed up the Thames
with goods from the outer reaches of the empire and
left on the return voyage laden with the produce of
the British Isles. Baths, temples, and a spacious
forum (market place) were constructed to service the
growing population- which by 200 AD had reached 50,000.
The next two centuries in the story of Londinium were
largely uneventful, although occasional civil strife
and increasing incursions by 'barbarian' tribes were
placing some pressure on the Roman garrisons in Britain.
The walls around the city were strengthened over this
period, but by the early years of the fifth century
the Roman Empire was under threat from all sides,
eventually disintegrating and being divided up by
various tribal groupings. London was deserted to
the invading Saxon tribe of central Europe, and
the once proud Roman city became a backwater town.
The 'Dark Ages' had descended on Europe.
II. Roman London On Show
Roman London was a tiny city by modern standards,
stretching for the main part between the site of present-day
St.Paul's and the Tower of London on the river,
and as far north as the Museum of London. In its day,
however, it was an important trading and administrative
centre, helping to oversee this far flung province
of the Empire.
Much of Roman London now lies under the pavements
of the modern capital - the remains of the Forum,
Basilica, Baths, and Governor's Palace lie under subsequent
constructions, and few 'open air' vestiges of the
city remain. Perhaps the most tangible remains legacy
are the small stretches of Roman Wall that
survive - most visibly by the Tower of London (pictured)
with its copy of a bronze statue, and further north
at the Museum of London.
The Museum of London
makes an excellent starting point for the discovery
of Roman London. While covering all periods of London
history, the museum has an excellent range of Roman
artifacts. Some highlights include a 2nd Century
fresco from a riverside bath house, a reconstructed
Roman house, and an impressive pavement mosaic.
A short stroll from the Museum or Mansion House Tube
are the foundations of the Temple of Mithras,
an important place of worship in Roman times. Revealed
by a German bomb during the Second World War, the
temple foundations are on public display in Queen
Victoria Street.
Nearer Tower Hill Tube is the ancient church of
All Hallows by the Tower (Byward Street, EC3,
020 7481 2928), which has been a church since Saxon
times. The arch in the southwest corner of the church
contains engraved Roman tiles, and in the crypt
there are the remains of a Roman pavement.
The most impressive repository of Roman London is
the British Museum.
With finds from much further afield and also from
other settlements in Britain, the British Museum has
a fascinating collection of statues, artwork, treasures,
and weapons housed in a series of galleries. Highlights
include the Mildenhall Treasure (ploughed up
by a farmer in 1942), the 2,000 year-old Portland
Vase, and a bust of Britain's first Roman invader
- Julius Caesar.
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