1. What the Romans Brought to Britain The Romanization of the Celts

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. Aqueducts Roman cities always had an abundance of water for the baths and for fountains, because well- constructed aqueducts could bring water from far-away sources into the center of town.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. Agriculture The Romans improved the Celtic style of farming. First of all, the farmer would have a well- built house on his farmstead.

18. 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.

19. New Species The Romans also introduced new species of plants and trees into Britain, most notably the cherry tree.

20. 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.

21. Overseas Trade Because Britain was now part of the larger Roman Empire, British goods could be exported to far- away markets on the Continent of Europe, and, in return, luxuries such as wine and Roman art work could be imported into Britain.

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. 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?