Even today, evidence of the Romans being here, can be seen
in the ruins of Roman buildings, forts, roads, and baths can
be found all over Britain.
When did the Romans invade Britain?
First invasion - Caesar's first raid
In August 55 B.C. (55 years before Jesus
was born) the Roman general, Emperor
Julius Caesar invaded Britain.
After winning several battles against
the Celtic tribes (Britons) in south-east
England he returned to France.
SOME MORE FACTS
How long did the Romans stay in Britain?
The Romans remained in Britain from 43 AD to 410 AD.
That is almost four hundred years (four centuries).
The biggest battle was fought
on the banks of the River
Medway, close to Rochester.
It went on for two days
before the Celtic tribes
retreated.
The battle for Yorkshire and the remainder of northern England
was still underway in AD 70.
. A soldier's life was very tough, they were well armed and trained for
dangerous battles. Let's find out what they wore.
Metal Jacket
This flexible armour was made
up of metal strips held
together with metal ties. They
were so heavy that soldiers
had to help each other to put
them on.
Tunic
The tunic was worn
underneath the armour.
This was made of rough
wool and reached down
to the middle of the
thigh. It was not until later
that short trousers were
worn down below!
A Belt (cingulum)
The decorated
leather strips gave
protection during a
battle. These belts
jangled as the army
marched to scare
the enemy. The
most important
soldiers wore the
nicest, most
expensive belts.
Sandals (caligae)
These sandals were
designed to help the
Romans march for long
distances. They were strong,
well ventilated and allowed
the soldiers to march very
quickly. The sandals often
had metal studs at the
bottom to make them last
longer.
Helmet
Centurions and other
Officers wore crests on the
top of their helmets so that
the other men could follow
them in battle. The helmets
helped to protect the head,
face and neck in a battle.
A Javelin
These had a sharp point
to pierce shields and
armour. Groups of
soldiers would throw
their javelins through
the air at the same time
in order to break the
enemies charge.
A Sword (Gladius)
This short sword was also
called a 'Gladius' and it was
a terrible stabbing weapon.
The soldiers could use them
easily in the crush of a
battle.
Equipment
Each man had a
heavy pack with
a tool kit, a dish
and a pan. The
pack held
personal items
and 3 day's food
rations. They may
have also carried
things like a cloak
and a leather
bottle for water
Only men could be in the
Roman Army. No women.
Every Roman soldier was a
Roman citizen.
Every Roman soldier was
a Roman citizen. He had
to be at least 20 years
old. He was not
supposed to get married
while he was a soldier.
Most soldiers in the
Roman Empire came
from countries outside
Italy.
There were Roman
soldiers from Africa,
France, Germany, the
Balkans, Spain and
the Middle East.
Soldiers had to stay in
the army for at least 25
years! Then they could
retire, with a pension or
a gift of land to farm.
Old soldiers
often settled
down to old age
together, in a
military town or
Colonia.
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Rome is now the capital city of Italy. 2,000
years ago it was the centre of the Roman
Empire. Building started in 753 BC.
The Romans had a story to explain how Rome began.
Twin boys, Romulus and Remus, were the sons of Mars
(the Roman god or war). An evil uncle took them as
babies from their mother and threw them into the River
Tiber to drown. The babies floated to land, and a mother
wolf fed and cared for them. Later a herdsman looked
after the twins until they grew up.
The Emperor Claudius rode an elephant
when he visited Britain in AD 43. People
in Britain were amazed to see such a
sight!
 To be a Roman citizen, or even an
Emperor, you did not have to be born in
Rome. The Emperor Septimius Severus
was an African, from Libya.
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In his portraits, Julius Caesar wore a
wreath on his head to hide his baldness!
The Roman leader
Julius Caesar.
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Their gods included:
Jupiter
King of the Gods.
God of the sky
Weapon: Thunderbolt
(thunder and lightning).
Son of Uranus
Father of Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto
Husband of Juno, who looked after women.
Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto were the three sons
of Saturn
Neptune
 God of the Sea and also earthquakes
 Holds: a trident, which had three prongs.
 Son of Saturn
 Brother of Jupiter and Pluto
 Greek name: Poseidon
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Mars
 God of War (pictured right)
 Father of Romulus and Remus
 Soldiers believed that Mars decided who
won, who lost and who died in battle.
They prayed to him to ask him to keep
them safe from harm and to allow them
to win in battle.
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The Romans often borrowed new gods
from people they conquered. They
hoped these new gods would make
them stronger. They borrowed gods from
Egypt, for example, such as the goddess
Isis.
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A clay head of the god Jupiter. And
Mithras. She is a Persian God
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I hope you have learnt a lot!!!