Rebellion: Britannia is a game about rebellions in Roman Britain, and concentrates largely on the Claudian period, which ran from 43CE to 69CE. Over the course of a quarter of a century, there were at least 5 major rebellions that the invading Roman forces had to deal with, including Boudicca’s revolt, which is certainly the most widely known.

After Julius Caesar’s initial expedition to Britain in 55BCE, almost an entire century would pass before Rome eventually chose to stage an invasion of the British Isles. Emperor Augustus considered an invasion, but failed Roman efforts to subdue the German tribes, and the disastrous defeat at Teutoburg in 9CE, led to him cautioning Rome to restrict its lands to those “within its present frontiers” (Tacitus, Annals, I.11),  advice which his successor, Tiberius, chose to follow. 

Caligula went as far as assembling forces for an invasion in 40CE, but changed his mind at the last minute, abandoning the planned invasion and instead instructing the gathered legionnaires to collect seashells from the beaches (Suetonius, XLVI). 

And so, in 43CE, it was his successor, Claudius, who was to finally mount an invasion of the island, seeing the conquest of this remote land as an opportunity to promote his position as Emperor and assuage any doubts that the Senate may have about his suitability for the position.

By 43CE Rome had been trading extensively with the tribes on the south coast for decades, and diplomatic efforts had resulted in a number of tribes offering fealty to Rome and essentially becoming client kingdoms of the Empire. The justification for Claudius’ invasion came from such a source in the form of Verica, exiled King of the Atrebates, a tribe who had been friendly to Rome, whose lands had been conquered by the neighboring expansionist Catuvellauni tribe.

On their arrival in AD43, under the command of Aulus Plautius, Rome was immediately opposed by the Catuvellauni under the leadership of two brothers, Caratacus and Togodumnus. Having persuaded the Dobunni tribe, who were allied with the Catuvellauni, to switch sides, Rome’s forces swiftly defeated their opponents following two decisive encounters at the Battle of the Medway and the Battle of the Thames.  Togodumnus died from wounds sustained in combat, whilst Caratacus fled to South Wales with his remaining followers. 

Assured of victory, Plautius halted his advance and called on the Emperor to join him. Within a number of days, Claudius arrived, bringing elephants (surely their first appearance on English soil), and headed the final advance on the Catuvellauni capital, Camulodunum (modern-day Colchester). After this victory,  a temple to Emperor Claudius was constructed in the capital, and the conquered lands of the Catuvellauni formed the nucleus of the new Roman province. 

Much of the south of England was now under Rome’s influence and direct or indirect control, and Rome spent the years following the invasion establishing forts and settlements, and building an extensive network of roads. Londinium (modern-day London) is believed to have been founded in 47CE, the same year in which Aulus Plautius was replaced as Governor by Publius Ostrorius Scapula. Scapula almost immediately initiated a military campaign against the Decangli in north Wales, whilst also threatening to disarm all of the Briton tribes. This latter threat seems somewhat ill-judged and would come back to bite him.

After the invasion, but prior to 47CE, both the Brigantes and Iceni tribes had maintained their independence and had loosely fallen in behind their new Roman neighbors. However, the threat to their ability to defend themselves sparked fury amongst the tribes, and both the Brigantes and the Iceni rose up against Rome. These rebellions were short-lived, and swiftly extinguished by Scapula, who had been forced to abandon his campaign in Decangli. In both cases, it seems that after engagements decisively in Rome’s favor, the key ring leaders were executed, but the remaining participants were pardoned, and both kingdoms maintained their independence, with Cartimandua continuing to rule the Brigantes, and Prasutagus the Iceni.

Scapula once again turned his attention to Decangli, staging a campaign against the region in 48CE, and then pushing his forces into the Ordovices territory. Here he was met with fierce resistance by the Silures who, under the leadership of the exiled Caratacus, had formed an alliance with the neighboring Ordovices tribe. Scapula’s campaign began to stall, with Rome drawn into a guerilla war with the Welsh tribes, and it took the Governor a no-doubt highly frustrating three years to finally corner Caratacus, who was defeated in the Ordovices territory in 51CE.

After his defeat to Scapula’s forces, Caratacus managed to escape and fled to the Brigantes region where he sought refuge with Cartimandua. However, she refused to grant him protection, had him chained up, and handed him over to Rome. He was sent for trial in the Roman capital, and so impressed the audience with his dignity and oratory that he was granted both his freedom and citizenship of Rome, living out his final days in the capital with his family.

Whilst Rome had removed the thorn that had been in her side for almost a decade, their struggle to control Britain was still far from over, as we will see in the second part of this historical overview.

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