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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