Episode 72. Britain: The Province at the Edge of the World

Works Cited Primary Sources Archaeology. The body of archaeological evidence for the Roman conquest of Britain is substantial. The destruction layers at the hill forts of the West Country, including Maiden Castle's war cemetery, are foundational. The road and fort network is preserved across the modern English landscape and is the subject of ongoing scholarly investigation. The bog bodies—Lindow Man in Cheshire being the most famous—preserve evidence of Iron Age ritual practice including possible Druidic sacrifice.Caesar. De Bello Gallico, Books 4 and 5. The principal source for the 55 and 54 BCE expeditions and for Caesar's account of the British world he encountered. To be treated with the usual source-criticism appropriate to Caesar's self-presentation.Cassius Dio. Roman History, especially Book 60. Greek-language narrative covering the Claudian invasion in considerable detail.Pliny the Elder. Natural History, especially Book 16. Preserves substantial material on Druidic ritual including the famous account of the cutting of mistletoe with golden sickles.Suetonius. Life of Claudius and Life of Vespasian. The Claudius biography preserves the invasion material at chapter 17. The Vespasian biography preserves the Britain campaign material at chapter 4, including the figure of more than twenty hill forts captured and the addition of the Isle of Wight to the empire.Tacitus. Agricola, especially chapters 13 through 17. Tacitus's later treatment of the British conquest, written approximately 98 CE with material from his father-in-law Agricola, who served in Britain during the conquest period.Tacitus. Annals, especially Books 12 and 14. Book 12 preserves the Caratacus material at 12.33–37, including the famous speech before Claudius. Book 14 preserves the campaign against Mona at 14.30.Secondary Sources Aldhouse-Green, Miranda. Boudica Britannia. Pearson, 2006. Includes substantial background on the conquest period and the British world that Roman armies encountered.Aldhouse-Green, Miranda. The World of the Druids. Thames and Hudson, 1997. The standard treatment of Druidic religion drawing on both literary and archaeological evidence.Frere, Sheppard. Britannia: A History of Roman Britain. Fourth edition, Routledge, 1999. The standard scholarly history of the Roman province. The reference for most analytical decisions in this episode.Webster, Graham. The Roman Invasion of Britain. Routledge, 1980/1999. Focused military history of the conquest period.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/real-roman-history/donations