Transcript What_the_Romans_Brought_to_Britain

What the Romans Brought to
Britain
The Romanization of the Celts
The Pax Romana
• The most important
element the Romans
introduced into Britain
was peace and
stability. Warfare
between the various
Celtic tribes was no
longer permitted.
Peace was insured by two methods:
• First, the Celtic tribes
were conquered and
their chiefs were
forced to enter into
peace treaties with
the Romans.
• The chiefs were also
required to turn over
hostages to the
Romans, often
members of their own
families, in order to
insure that they would
not break the peace
treaty.
Secondly, the Romans established a series of
strong army camps throughout the countryside, so
that they could quickly put down any attempts at
rebellion by the unruly tribes.
Roman Roads
• In order to allow for
quick movement of
troops around the
island, the Romans
built a system of
roads, many of which
are still in use in
modern times.
Cities
• The connecting roads
between once isolated
settlements allowed for
an increase in trade and
spurred the growth of
cities, as centers of
business and
government. These cities
were built according to
the typical Roman
pattern.
Major Buildings
• The streets of the city
would be laid out on a
grid pattern, and at
the intersection of two
major roads, one
would always find the
Forum, the
administrative heart of
the community.
The Basilica
• One important
building in the Forum
was the Basilica,
which served as a
court of law. Here
Roman judges would
hear cases and
decide issues on the
basis of established
Roman law.
The Temples
• Also located in the
forum would be one
or more temples
dedicated to Roman
gods and also to the
Roman emperor, who
was worshipped as
divine.
Gods and Goddesses
• The Romans did not try to
destroy the religion of the
Celts. They were very
tolerant of other religions.
What the Romans did
was simply to identify the
gods and goddesses of
the Celts with their own
divinities. Thus they said
the Celtic goddess Sulis
was none other than the
Roman goddess Minerva.
The Baths
• The Baths were an
essential part of Roman
culture. Romans usually
went to the baths every
day, both to clean
themselves and to
socialize with their
friends. The Romans built
bath complexes
everywhere, even in the
most remote army
camps. There was even a
set of baths at
Vindolanda.
Aqueducts
• Roman cities always
had an abundance of
water for the baths
and for fountains,
because wellconstructed
aqueducts could bring
water from far-away
sources into the
center of town.
The Theater
• For entertainment, the
Romans enjoyed
going to the theater.
Every Roman city
would be sure to have
a theater, often
seating several
thousand people.
The Amphitheater
• Another favorite form of
entertainment for the
Romans was watching
gladiator shows in the
amphitheater. Usually the
amphitheater would be
built outside the walls of
the city. Many army
camps also had
amphitheaters for the
entertainment of the
troops.
Roman Style Houses
• The Romans brought
their style of housing
to Britain, and soon
the wealthy Celtic
chiefs, farmers, and
merchants were
building themselves
villas in the Roman
style.
Agriculture
• The Romans
improved the Celtic
style of farming. First
of all, the farmer
would have a wellbuilt house on his
farmstead.
Irrigation
• The Romans showed
the Celts how to drain
low-lying areas in
order to make them
arable, and they used
irrigation channels to
bring water to dry
fields.
New Species
• The Romans also
introduced new
species of plants and
trees into Britain,
most notably the
cherry tree.
Increase in Trade
• Roman roads allowed
Celtic farmers and
craftsmen to take their
goods for sale in larger
towns and cities. In order
to facilitate business
transactions, the old
Celtic barter system was
replaced by the use or
Roman coinage.
Overseas Trade
• Because Britain was now
part of the larger Roman
Empire, British goods
could be exported to faraway markets on the
Continent of Europe, and,
in return, luxuries such as
wine and Roman art work
could be imported into
Britain.
Roman Artwork
• In particular, Roman
artists and craftsman
brought the art of
making mosaics to
Britain. The new
Roman-style villas
often had their floors
decorated in the most
beautiful tiled artwork.
Murals
• And, just like the best
houses in Rome,
villas in far-away
Britain also would
have their walls
decorated with
exquisite murals,
painted by the best
artists, who were
often brought in from
Italy to do the work.
Educating the Celts
• Gradually, the Celtic
leaders and the
wealthy classes of
Celtic society began
to adopt the Roman
ways. They started to
dress like Romans,
putting on togas when
they were granted the
privilege of Roman
citizenship.
• And, the upper class
Celts gladly sent their
sons to be educated by
Roman teachers, so that
they would be able to
speak Latin and to
understand Roman
customs. Thereby, they
hoped their children
would be able to be
promoted to positions of
authority in the Roman
government of the island.
Agricola
• Indeed, the famous
Roman governor of
Britain, a man named
Agricola, actively
promoted the
Romanization of large
sections of the Celtic
population. Soon, many
Celts considered
themselves to be as
Roman as the Romans
themselves. They
completely forgot about
the old Celtic ways of life.
Roman Britain
• The Romans stayed in Britain for the next
400 years. When the Romans finally
abandoned the island in 410 A.D., they left
behind a cultural legacy that forever
changed the nature of life in Britain. Even
today, evidence of the Roman period is to
be found all over England. Do you think
the Romans made Britain better or worse
by what they did for its inhabitants?