Roman Britain explained in maps

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The Roman conquering of Britain began under Emperor Claudius in AD 43. The Roman Army had approached the South West by AD 45-47 under Aulus Plautius. Large parts of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire from AD 43 to AD 410. Throughout that time, the nation has the status of a Roman province. 46,323 Roman settlers resided in Britain from various parts of the Empire.

Under the second-century emperors Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, 2 walls were constructed to protect the Roman province from the Caledonians, whose areas in the Scottish Highlands were never occupied. Around 197 AD Britain was divided into 2 regions: Britannia Superior and Britannia Inferior afterward; at the end of the 3rd century, Britannia was split into 4 provinces. A 5th province, Valentia, is attested in the later 4th century.

Map of Roman Britain (369 A.D.)

In approximately 4 centuries of occupation, the Romans built about 3,220 kilometers (2,000 mi) of Roman roads in Britain. The map below created by Sasha Trubetskoy shows the main Roman roads in Britain in underground style.

Roman roads of Britain

Londinium was the main crossroads and the capital of Roman Britain throughout most of the period of Roman rule.

The Roman city of Londinium around AD 200

Although most of the population of Roman Britain proceeded to live in small rural farmsteads, many larger nucleated settlements developed after the conquest, often sited along with the expanding road network.

According to Martyn Allen and his colleagues, about 3600 Roman settlements existed in England.

Roman settlements in England

The sites of Roman coins evidence the impressive scale of Roman colonization in Britain.

Where have Roman coins been found in Britain?

The last Roman departure from Britain happened around 410. Following the conquering of the Britons, a unique Romano-British culture emerged as the Romans preceded enhanced agriculture, urban planning, industrial composition, and architecture.

To learn more about Roman Britain, have a look at the following books and map posters:

• Roman Britain: A New History
• Roman Britain and Where to Find It
• A History of Ancient Britain
• Map of Ancient Roman Empire

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