About two thousand years ago, a huge and powerful empire stretched across much of the world. It was the Roman Empire, and one day it reached all the way to Britain.
A giant empire reaches Britain
The Romans came from the city of Rome in Italy. Their strong, well-trained army took over land in many countries — this huge collection of lands was the Roman Empire. About 2,000 years ago the army sailed across the sea and took control of much of Britain, staying for hundreds of years.
| Roman thing | What it was |
|---|---|
| Roads | long, straight paved roads across the land |
| Baths | warm public baths where people washed and met friends |
| Hadrian's Wall | a long stone wall across the north |
Builders, rebels and a wall
The Romans were brilliant builders, making long straight roads for soldiers and traders, busy towns with markets, and warm baths for washing and chatting — some of our cities today began as Roman towns. Not everyone was happy under Roman rule: a brave British queen named Boudica led her people in a revolt, rising up to fight back. Her army caused real trouble at first, but the Romans won in the end — she is still remembered as a brave leader. Later, far in the north, the Romans built Hadrian's Wall, marking the edge of the land they ruled; bits of it still stand today.
Put Roman Britain's story in order, earliest first:
- Roman army takes control of much of Britain (about 43 CE)
- Roads, towns and baths are built
- Boudica's revolt against Roman rule
- Hadrian's Wall built in the north (about 122 CE)
We know about the Romans from things they left behind, like coins, pots, ruins of baths and even letters written on thin slices of wood.