Editing Roman Britain (section)

=== Establishment of Roman rule ===

{{Further|Romano-British culture}}
{{Gallery
|title  = Roman invasion of Britain
|align  = right
|width  = 180
|height = 180
|File:Roman.Britain.campaigns.43.to.60.jpg|Roman campaigns 43–60
|File:Agricola.Campaigns.80.84.jpg|Agricola's campaigns
}}
After capturing the south of the island, the Romans turned their attention to what is now [[Wales]]. The [[Silures]], [[Ordovices]] and [[Deceangli]] remained implacably opposed to the invaders and for the first few decades were the focus of Roman military attention, despite occasional minor revolts among Roman allies like the [[Brigantes]] and the [[Iceni]]. The Silures were led by [[Caratacus]], and he carried out an effective [[guerrilla warfare|guerrilla]] campaign against Governor [[Publius Ostorius Scapula]]. Finally, in 51, Ostorius lured Caratacus into a set-piece battle and [[Caratacus' last battle|defeated him]]. The British leader sought refuge among the Brigantes, but their queen, [[Cartimandua]], proved her loyalty by surrendering him to the Romans. He was brought as a captive to Rome, where a [[Caratacus#Captive in Rome|dignified speech]] he made during Claudius's triumph persuaded the emperor to spare his life. The Silures were still not pacified, and Cartimandua's ex-husband [[Venutius]] replaced Caratacus as the most prominent leader of British resistance.<ref>{{Citation |last=Tacitus |title=Annals |at=[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ann.+12.31 12:31–38]}}</ref>

On [[Nero]]'s accession, Roman Britain extended as far north as [[Lindum Colonia|Lindum]]. [[Gaius Suetonius Paulinus]], the conqueror of [[Mauretania]] (modern day [[Algeria]] and [[Morocco]]), then became governor of Britain, and in 60 and 61 he moved against Mona ([[Anglesey]]) to settle accounts with [[Druid]]ism once and for all. Paulinus led his army across the [[Menai Strait]] and massacred the Druids and burnt their sacred groves.

While Paulinus was [[Roman conquest of Anglesey|campaigning in Mona]], the southeast of Britain rose in revolt under the leadership of [[Boudica]]. She was the widow of the recently deceased king of the Iceni, Prasutagus. The Roman historian Tacitus reports that Prasutagus had left a will leaving half his kingdom to Nero in the hope that the remainder would be left untouched. He was wrong. When his will was enforced, Rome{{Clarify|date=September 2023}}  responded by violently seizing the tribe's lands in full. Boudica protested. In consequence, Rome{{Clarify|date=September 2023}}  punished her and her daughters by flogging and rape. In response, the Iceni, joined by the [[Trinovantes]], destroyed the Roman colony at Camulodunum ([[Colchester]]) and [[Battle of Camulodunum|routed]] the part of the IXth Legion that was sent to relieve it. Paulinus rode to [[London]] (then called [[Londinium]]), the rebels' next target, but concluded it could not be defended. Abandoned, it was destroyed, as was [[Verulamium]] (St. Albans). Between seventy and eighty thousand people are said to have been killed in the three cities. But Paulinus regrouped with two of the three legions still available to him, chose a battlefield, and, despite being outnumbered by more than twenty to one, defeated the rebels in the [[Battle of Watling Street]]. Boudica died not long afterwards, by self-administered poison or by illness.<ref>{{Citation |last=Tacitus |title=Agricola |at=[[:s:Agricola#14|14.17]], [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=Tac.+Ann.+14.29 14.29–39]}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Cassius Dio |title=Historia Romana |at=[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/62*.html#1 62.1–12] |language=la}}</ref> During this time, the Emperor Nero considered withdrawing Roman forces from Britain altogether.<ref>{{Citation |last=Suetonius |title=[[The Twelve Caesars#Nero|Nero]] |at=[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Suetonius/12Caesars/Nero*.html#18 18]}}</ref>

[[File:Templeborough Roman Fort visualised 3D flythrough - Rotherham.webm|thumb|left|[[Templeborough|Templeborough Roman fort]] in South Yorkshire. The reconstruction was created for Rotherham Museums and Galleries.]]

There was further turmoil in 69, the "[[Year of the Four Emperors]]". As civil war raged in Rome, weak governors were unable to control the legions in Britain, and Venutius of the Brigantes seized his chance. The Romans had previously defended Cartimandua against him, but this time were unable to do so. Cartimandua was evacuated, and Venutius was left in control of the north of the country. After Vespasian secured the empire, his first two appointments as governor, [[Quintus Petillius Cerialis]] and [[Frontinus|Sextus Julius Frontinus]], took on the task of subduing the Brigantes and Silures respectively.<ref>{{Citation |last=Tacitus |title=Agricola |at=[[:s:Agricola#16|16–17]] |language=la}}; {{Citation |last=Tacitus |title=[[Histories (Tacitus)|Histories]] |at=[[:s:The Histories (Tacitus)/Book 1#60|1.60]], [[:s:The Histories (Tacitus)/Book 3#45|3.45]]}}</ref> Frontinus extended Roman rule to all of [[South Wales]], and initiated exploitation of the mineral resources, such as the [[gold mining|gold mines]] at [[Dolaucothi Gold Mines|Dolaucothi]].

In the following years, the Romans conquered more of the island, increasing the size of Roman Britain. Governor [[Gnaeus Julius Agricola]], father-in-law to the historian [[Tacitus]], conquered the [[Ordovices]] in 78. With the ''{{Lang|la|XX Valeria Victrix}}'' legion, Agricola defeated the [[Caledonians]] in 84 at the [[Battle of Mons Graupius]], in north-east Scotland.<ref>{{Citation |last=Tacitus |title=Agricola |at=[[:s:Agricola#18|18.38]] |language=la}}</ref> This was the high-water mark of Roman territory in Britain: shortly after his victory, Agricola was recalled from Britain back to Rome and awarded the ornaments of a triumph, before returning to continue as governor. By 87 the decision was taken to abandon most of the land north of the [[Cheviot Hills]] allowing for troops to be moved to other frontiers which were under pressure. Tacitus reports Agricola as feeling bitter about this turn of events.<ref>{{cite odnb|id=48290|title=Julius Agricola, Gnaeus [known as Agricola] |last=Todd|first=Malcolm |year=2004 |ref=none}}</ref>

For much of the history of Roman Britain, a large number of soldiers were garrisoned on the island. This required that the emperor station a trusted senior man as governor of the province. As a result, many future emperors served as governors or legates in this province, including [[Vespasian]], [[Pertinax]], and [[Gordian I]].
{{Gallery
|title  = Roman military organisation in the north
|align  = right
|width  = 180
|height = 180
|File:Roman.Scotland.north.84.jpg|In 84 AD
|File:Roman.Scotland.north.155.jpg|In 155 AD
}}