The Invasion, Conquest, And Resistance Of The Roman Britain Empire

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The Invasion, Conquest, And Resistance Of The Roman Britain Empire
If history is anything to go by, imperialism was a normal practice. The act of expanding a country’s territory by invading foreign nations was an exciting prospect for leaders of counties that had wealth and military power. It occurred in the 18th and 19th centuries, and it has generated plenty of controversies as historians attempt to make sense of what transpired in those ages. This practice was born out of the need for exploitation of resources and maximization of profits while other countries did it to exert their dominance on foreign nations and gain the upper hand in the war. The empires did eventually fall due to several reasons such as Infighting, greed, and tribal uprisings. However, the effect of imperialism on host nations is evident even to this day. It influenced every aspect of the host country, politics, religion, and economics. This essay attempts to show that no matter how strong the empires were, they were bound to fall.
Invasion & Conquest
The Roman Empire took control of Roman Britain, governing it from 43 to 410 AD. The land was vast, as it included England. Julius Cesar, the Roman emperor at the time, planned an attack on Britain whose first invasion happened in 54 BC, but the military expedition did not last. The Romans returned in AD 43, intending to take over the land under the rule of emperor Claudius who sent 40000 soldiers landed in England led by Aulus Plautus. The local tribes got overpowered by the Roman army and decided to make peace with them. In some parts of England and Scotland, the Romans never gained complete control and dominance, and it was “debatable to if that constituted a threat of the roman empire.” (Parsons 54). The roman empire was sophisticated in their art, architecture, engineering, and their army had sheer might and power. They used sheer force, intimidation, and institutionalized slavery to gain a foothold in Roman Britain. CITATION Tim10 \l 1033 (Timothy)
The roman regime rose due to its methods of administration. They focused on controlling their territories rather than expanding them. In the process of concurring nations, the Romans used crude force and inflicted terror; however, they had a level of tolerance. The Imperial administration meant that they rewarded leaders that surrendered by making them in charge of the locals on Romans' behalf. The cooperative leaders also received payment in coins and goods and got referred to as “friends of the Roman people.” ( Parsons 31). The Roman culture got imposed on locals, such as speaking in Latin so much so that Romans acknowledged anyone who spoke Latin and adopted the roman culture regardless of their race. By doing so, they maintained their claim of superiority, and the native tribes became easy to rule over and control. Romanization was highly successful, and it allowed the Romans to settle and start building. The empire building was vast and hugely successful that intellectuals feared the world would turn on Rome as a result of misrule. Religion is an issue the Romans had to manage carefully as the natives had their religion and gods of their own. The Romans allowed people to worship freely and keep their religion as long as they acknowledge Roman gods. British leaders paid homage to the Roman gods in Rome as an act to honor the Romans, and in 306 AD, Constantine made Christianity the Imperial stare religion.
Resistance & Eventual Fall
The invasion of Roman Britain was not an easy feat for the Romans as they encountered massive resistance in all their attempts. During Cesar’s second invasion’ he commanded a force of five legions and two thousand cavalrymen but was met by Cassivellaunus, an anti- Roman resistance tribal leader. The tribe's resistance was, however, curtailed as the Romans had the numbers and armor that rendered the tribes' war chariots ineffective. The invasion by Claudis was to be the one that shaped the history of the two nations. Controlling 40,000 legionaries, Claudis was determined to make a name for himself by conquering Britain. Some tribes submitted even without a fight and decided to make peace with the Romans, but other tribes did not surrender that easily. The Catuvellauni which was a Celtic tribe, hit the Roman bases with hit and run tactics. They rode on chariots and were quick to attack and flee which made them difficult to deal with and defeat. However, the Romans had too much power for them as “General Aulus broke the Catuvellaunian hold over the Thames River Valley” (Parsons 45) and drove them into exile in wales. Other tribes like the Dumnonii and Durotriges posed an even more significant threat to the Roman attempts of invasion. The tribes resided in the southwestern parts of England, attacking the Romans individually. This tactic made it harder for the Romans to deal with them as they were specialized in collective battle. The Roman army was too powerful compared with the tribes as they had the numbers and armor. The tribes could not sustain their resistance, and eventually, the Romans established their base in Britain
The Roman empire, however, was regularly involved in dynamic infighting, and the attacks hardpressed their ...