Daily Life In Roman Britain

Provides informational essays on various aspects of Roman Britain life, and covers the military, civilian, country living, domestic issues, religion, and other related topics.

What was it like to live in Roman Britain? What sort of house would you have lived in? What sort of clothes would you have worn? This book takes us back in time to see what it was really like to live in Roman Britain, what kind of sights and smells would be around us, and what our daily lives would have involved.

Roman Britain is vividly portrayed in this fascinating and authentically detailed story about a year in the life of an ordinary woman and her family. The year is AD 133. Hadrian is Emperor of Rome and all its vast empire, including Britannia. The greater part of that island has long been under imperial rule and the Roman legions control most of the land, quelling uprisings and building new forts and towns. Around the fortress of Eboracum (now known as York), a bustling garrison settlement is developing, while along the north-west frontier of Hadrian's empire, the legions are completing the construction of a mighty wall. Introducing us to this world is Senovara, born into the Parisi, a local tribe whose customs have been little changed by Roman rule. But she is also the young wife of Quintus, a veteran of the 6th Legion Victrix. Settling in Quintus's home is both bewildering and awe-inspiring for Senovara as she seeks to adjust to Eboracum's cosmopolitan environment, come to terms with new customs and reconcile their cultural differences. Senovara finds that daily life in the settlement can be harsh; a constant struggle to provide her family with fresh food, water and warmth. Yet there is much enjoyment to be had as well, at the public baths or with new friends. There is also the excitement of religious festivals and in the regular news from the frontier, and peril in the form of a deadly fever which sweeps through Eboracum, forcing Senovara and her children to flee to her brother in the countryside. Roman Woman is an immersive, compelling narrative which gets to the heart of what life was like for everyday people in Roman Britain.

Picture of the times and daily life of individual Britons during the more than 400 years that Rome occupied their island province.

This book takes a holistic look at Roman Britain, from the events leading up to its official inception in AD 43 until the Romans left the Isle entirely around AD 409. The timeline is straightforward, and each chapter delves into some aspect of Romano-British life: dealing with the concept of 'the Celts'; when Britannia actually became 'Roman'; how the two peoples attempted to blend their culture through religion; and lastly, why the Romans had to leave. Inside you will read about... ✓ The Timeline ✓ Ancient Celtic Ethnicity, A Modern Invention ✓ The Beginnings Of Roman Britain ✓ Religion And Blending Culture In Roman Britain ✓ The Bitter End It can be difficult to explain everything from a neutral, unbiased perspective as most of the records from the time are Roman in nature, but drawing on a variety of perspectives from archaeologists and historians alike has made for a thought-provoking assessment of the era. Rome's power bestowed cities like London and York to Britannia, and their lasting influence is still visible today in places like Bath, and at Hadrian's Wall to the north. Roman Britain lingers on still.

The Britain of the Roman Occupation is, in a way, an age that is dark to us. While the main events from 55 BC to AD 410 are little disputed, and the archaeological remains of villas, forts, walls, and cities explain a great deal, we lack a clear sense of individual lives. This book is the first to infuse the story of Britannia with a beating heart, the first to describe in detail who its inhabitants were and their place in our history. A lifelong specialist in Romano-British history, Guy de la Bédoyère is the first to recover the period exclusively as a human experience. He focuses not on military campaigns and imperial politics but on individual, personal stories. Roman Britain is revealed as a place where the ambitious scramble for power and prestige, the devout seek solace and security through religion, men and women eke out existences in a provincial frontier land. De la Bédoyère introduces Fortunata the slave girl, Emeritus the frustrated centurion, the grieving father Quintus Corellius Fortis, and the brilliant metal worker Boduogenus, among numerous others. Through a wide array of records and artifacts, the author introduces the colorful cast of immigrants who arrived during the Roman era while offering an unusual glimpse of indigenous Britons, until now nearly invisible in histories of Roman Britain.