Britain

Definition

Britain (or more accurately, Great Britain) is the name of the largest of the British Isles, which lie off the northwest coast of continental Europe. The name is probably Celtic and derives from a word meaning 'white'; this is usually assumed to be a reference to the famous white Cliffs of Dover, which any new arrival to the country by sea can hardly miss. The first mention of the island was by the Greek navigator Pytheas, who explored island's coastline, c. 325 BC.

During the early Neolithic Age (c. 4400 BC – c. 3300 BC), many long barrows were constructed on the island, many of which can still be seen today. In the late Neolithic (c. 2900 BC – c.2200 BC), large stone circles called henges appeared, the most famous of which is Stonehenge.

Before Roman occupation the island was inhabited by a diverse number of tribes that are generally believed to be of Celtic origin, collectively known as Britons. The Romans knew the island as Britannia.

It enters recorded history in the military reports of Julius Caesar, who crossed to the island from Gaul (France) in both 55 and 54 BC. The Romans invaded the island in 43 AD, on the orders of emperor Claudius, who crossed over to oversee the entry of his general, Aulus Plautius, into Camulodunum (Colchester), the capital of the most warlike tribe, the Catuvellauni. Plautius invaded with four legions and auxiliary troops, an army amounting to some 40,000.

Due to the survival of the Agricola, a biography of his father-in-law written by the historian Tacitus (c. 105 AD), we know much about the first four decades of Roman occupation, but literary evidence is scarce thereafter; happily there is plentiful, if occasionally mystifying archaeological evidence. Subsequent Roman emperors made forays into Scotland, although northern Britain was never conquered; they left behind the great fortifications, Hadrian's Wall (c. 120 AD) and the Antonine Wall (142 -155 AD), much of which can still be visited today. Britain was always heavily fortified and was a base from which Roman governors occasionally made attempts to seize power in the Empire (Clodius Albinus in 196 AD, Constantine in 306 AD).

At the end of the 4th century AD, the Roman presence in Britain was threated by "barbarian" forces. The Picts (from present-day Scotland) and the Scoti (from Ireland) were raiding the coast, while the Saxons and the Angles from northern Germany were invading southern and eastern Britain. By 410 AD the Roman army had withdrawn. After struggles with the Britons, the Angles and the Saxons emerged as victors and established themselves as rulers in much of Britain during the Dark Ages (c. 450 - c. 800 AD).

Written by Terry Walsh, published 28 April 2011.

Peer Review

Are you qualified to peer review ancient history information? Apply now and help provide quality ancient history information on the web!

Articles

• Illness and medicine in Roman Britain

  Although medical science was still in its infancy during Roman times, knowledge of medicinal plants was widespread and sick people may have been treated with herbal remedies by relatives and friends. Environment, diet, exercise and hygiene all had a part to play in a positive approach to health. Most...

• The people of Iron Age Britain

  The people of Iron Age Britain were physically very similar to many modern Europeans and there is no reason to suppose that all Iron Age Britons had the same hair colour, eye colour or skin complexion. Iron Age Britons spoke one or more Celtic language, which probably spread to Britain through trade...

• The health of Iron Age Britons

  It is likely that many people in Iron Age Britain would have died from diseases as babies or children. Many of those people who survived to be adults rarely lived beyond the ages of 35-45. Only about a third of all adults lived longer. Studies of the bones of Iron Age people suggest that at least...

• The White Horse of Uffington

  The cutting of huge figures or geoglyphs into the turf of English hillsides has been going on for more than 3000 years. There are 56 hill figures scattered around England, with the vast majority on the chalk downlands of the southern part of the country. The figures include giants, horses, crosses...

• Beer in the Ancient World

  The intoxicant known in English as `beer' takes its name from the Latin `bibere' (by way of the German `bier') meaning `to drink' and the Spanish word for beer, cerveza' comes from the Latin word `cerevisia' for `of beer', giving some indication of the long span human beings...

Illustrations

Britain Books

• The Romans: From Village to Empire Mary T. Boatwright Oxford University Press, USA (15 July 2004) Price: $45.43

• How the Scots Invented the Modern World: The True Story of How Western Europe's... Arthur Herman Broadway (24 September 2002) Price: $10.88

• The Foundations of Early Modern Europe, 1460-1559 Eugene F. Rice Jr. W. W. Norton & Company (17 February 1994) Price: $15.00

• Black Athena: The Afroasiatic Roots of Classical Civilization Anonymous Rutgers University Press (01 February 1991) Price: $25.81

• The West: A Narrative History, Combined Volume A. Daniel Frankforter Prentice Hall (16 August 2008) Price: $53.32