Roman London
In 55 BC Julius Caesars Roman army invaded England. They landed in Kent and marched
north-west until they came to the broad River Thames. There were a few tribesmen2 living on
the opposite bank, but there was no major settlement. However, by the time of the second
Roman invasion 88 years later, a small port and mercantile3 community had been established
there. The Romans bridged the river (the first bridge was built in AD 43) and built their
administrative headquarters on the north bank. In Roman times it was already called
Londinium, which was a version of its old Celtic name.
When the Romans invaded Britain, they already controlled vast areas of the
Mediterranean, but fierce4 opposition from local tribes (such as Queen Boadicea’s Iceni)
made Britain difficult to control. The Romans persevered5 however and consolidated6 their
power by the end of the century. The tombstone7 of a Roman legionnaire was built into
London’s City Wall in 200. Londinium, with its port, developed into a capital city; by the end
of the third century, there were some 50,000 people living there. About 200 metres from
London Bridge was the forum (the chief market and meeting place) and the basilica, which
comprised8 the town hall and court of justice. But, as the Roman Empire crumbled in the 5th
century, the Roman army began pulling out in 410.
Where to see Roman London?
Most traces10 of the Roman occupation are in the City, the Museum of London and the British
Museum, which have extensive collections of Roman finds. A Roman pavement is the crypt
All Hallows by the Tower, and an amphitheatre was recently found below the Guildhall. The
foundations of the Temple of Mithras are on view near the site on Queen Victoria St. A
section of the Roman wall can be seen from the Museum of London.
Medieval London
When the Romans left Londinium, it was the largest city in England. The historic division
between London’s centres of commerce (the City) and government (Westminster) started in
the midi-11th century, when Edward the Confessor11 established his court and sited his abbey
(Westminster Abbey) at Westminster Meanwhile, in the City, tradesmen setup their own
institutions and guiids12, and London appointed its first mayor13. Houses and shops were built;
shopkeepers had their shops usually in the downstairs of their premises14 and lived above their
shops. The first stone bridge was built in 1209 and lasted 600 years. It was the only bridge
across the Thames in London until Westminster Bridge was completed in 1750. The Tower of
London was started in 1078 and became one of the few centres of royal power in the largely
self-governing City.
When speaking about Medieval London, we should not forget to mention the Norman
Conquest15, the coronation of William I Westminster Abbey, and the publishing of the
Domesday Book. The Domesday Book is a great land survey, commissioned16 by William the
Conqueror to assess17 the extent of the land and resources owned in England at the time and
the extent of the taxes he could raise. The information collected was recorded by hand in two
huge books, in the space of around a year. William died before it was fully completed.
1
Another significant document issued in the time of Medieval London was King John’s Magna
Carta, which gave the City as well as all the British people more powers.
We know that England is one of the oldest parliamentary monarchies; the first session of
parliament was held at Westminster as early as 1240.
As various infectious diseases often occurred, the population of London did not rise above its
Roman peak of 50000. The Black Death (peaking in 1348- 1350) reduced the population by
half.
Where to see Medieval London?
The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed much of London. In September 1666 almost all the
buildings were destroyed. The Tower, Westminster Hall, Westminster Abbey, all from 11th
century as well as a few churches are the only survivors of the Great Fire. The Museum of
London has some artefacts from this era, while the National Gallery has some paintings
dating back to those times. Manuscripts, including the Domesday Book, are found at the
British Library.
Elizabethan London
In the 16th century the monarchy was stronger than ever before. The Tudors established peace
throughout England, allowing art and commerce to flourish. The Renaissance reached its
peak18 under Elizabeth I, the daughter of Henry VIII, who is especially famous for his six
wives and his break with the Roman Catholic Church. Henry VIII’s Reformation had other
reasons than reformation in Europe. Henry VIII wanted to divorce his first wife, Catherine of
Aragon. The divorce was against the principles of the Catholic Church and against the interest
of Spain. So Henry decided to leave the Roman Catholic Church. By establishing the Church
of England, he became the Head of the Church, the owner of all its property and achieved the
divorce. In 1536, Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, was executed19. In 1547, Henry
died and was succeeded by his son Edward VI. Six years later, in 1553, Edward died, and Hs
sister became Queen Mary I. Six years later, in 1558, Mary I’s death made Elizabeth Queen.
In the era of Elizabeth I explorers20 opened up the New world, Francis Drake made his first
voyage to the West Indies in 1570, and in 1584, Walter Raleigh made his first attempt to
colonize America, The year 1588 was a significant year for England, when Francis Drake
succeeded in defeating the Spanish Armada.
The Elizabethan era is the time when English theatre flourished. In 1591, the first play by
William Shakespeare was produced. Shakespeare dominated the theatrical scene till his death
in 1616. Shakespeare’s theatre, the Globe, became the centre of culture, and theatre became
an important part of people’s lives.
2
Where to see Elizabethan London?
Unfortunately, the Great Fire of 1666 wiped out most of the City. Fortunately, Middle Temple
Hall, Staple Inn and the Lady Chapel inside Westminster Abbey were beyond its reach. The
museums have fine furniture and artetacts. Further afield are Hampton Court and Sutton
House.
The follow-up article will give o few facts about Restoration London, Georgian and Victorian
London, London between the world wars and Post-War London.
From various sources — Janka Něničková
Slovník:
1. pohltit’; 2. Členovia kmeňa; 3. kupecký; 4. urputný; 5. zotrvať; 6. upevnit’, posilniť; 7.
náhrobný kameň, náhrobok; 8. obsahovať; 9. rozpadať sa; 10. stopa, pozostatok; 11.
spovedník; 12.cech; 13. starosta; l4. areál, priestor; l5. dobytie, podrobenie; l6. zadaný,
objednaný; l7. ohodnotit, odhadnút; l8. dosiahnuť vrchol; l9. popravený; 20. bádateľ,
cestovateľ
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