Explore Roman Britain (43–410) through the events, people and decisions that shaped life across Britain and its nations. This timeline places each milestone in context, showing how political change, conflict, reform, culture, technology and everyday experience influenced the direction of society. It is designed as a clear guide for following the development of Roman Britain (43–410) from major turning points to lasting consequences.
Following the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD , the settlement of Camulodunum , known today as Colchester , was captured and swiftly established as a pivotal centre of Roman administration. As the former capital of th...
View itemIn AD 43 , the Emperor Claudius initiated the Roman invasion of Britain , marking the commencement of a sustained period of military conquest and occupation across significant portions of the island. This strategic campa...
View itemFollowing the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD, the settlement of Londinium was established around 50 AD on the north bank of the River Thames. Strategically positioned at a point where the river was narrow enough to b...
View itemIn approximately 60 AD , a significant uprising against Roman occupation erupted in Britain , led by Boudica , the queen of the Iceni tribe. The revolt was triggered by the harsh treatment of the Iceni following the deat...
View itemIn approximately 77 AD, Gnaeus Julius Agricola assumed the role of governor of Roman Britain, initiating a series of military campaigns that sought to significantly extend the reach of Roman authority into the northern r...
View itemThe Battle of Mons Graupius , which took place in approximately 83 AD , represents a pivotal moment during the northern campaigns of the Roman governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola . Fought against a confederation of Caledonia...
View itemFollowing his arrival in Britain in AD 122 , the Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of a monumental defensive fortification to secure the northernmost reaches of the Roman Empire. This ambitious project, which woul...
View itemAround 142 AD, Roman forces under the orders of Emperor Antoninus Pius initiated the construction of the Antonine Wall . This ambitious project marked a significant shift in the military strategy of Roman Britain , as th...
View itemAround 162 AD, Roman forces withdrew from the Antonine Wall , effectively abandoning the northernmost frontier of their British territory. This strategic retreat saw the military presence shift back to the more establish...
View itemIn approximately 208, the Emperor Septimius Severus arrived in Britain to lead a series of ambitious military campaigns. Accompanied by his sons, Caracalla and Geta, the emperor sought to consolidate Roman authority and...
View itemIn approximately 211 AD, the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus died at Eboracum , the site of modern-day York . The Emperor had travelled to Britain to lead military campaigns against tribes in the north, but his failing h...
View itemIn approximately 286 , Carausius , a Roman naval commander of Menapian origin, seized power and declared himself emperor in Britain and parts of northern Gaul . Tasked by the Roman authorities with suppressing piracy in...
View itemIn approximately 296, the Roman Empire successfully reasserted its authority over Britain through the military campaign led by Constantius Chlorus . This intervention brought an end to the breakaway regime that had emerg...
View itemIn 306 AD, the course of Roman history was irrevocably altered within the walls of Eboracum , the modern-day city of York . Following the death of his father, the emperor Constantius Chlorus , the young Constantine was p...
View itemFrom approximately 367, Roman Britain faced a period of intense instability as the province was subjected to a coordinated series of hostile incursions. This era, often referred to by historians as the Great Conspiracy,...
View itemThe formal conclusion of Roman administration in Britain occurred around 410 , marking a profound transition for the province. As the Western Roman Empire faced mounting internal instability and external pressures across...
View item