Roman Britian
- Thread starter ray243
- Start date
First of all, Voltaire said that quote. Secondly, what the hell does the HRE hae to do with a surviving Roman Britain.
Which has absolutely nothing to do with this topic and took place centuries after the time frame for that matter.
Ok, I think we can generally agree that the idea of an emperor relocating to Britain isn't going to work, perhaps we could take the idea in a slightly different direction and see if we could see a surviving Romanised Britain, one that somehow manages to remain united and develops a identity myth that, after the collapse of the Western Empire, it is the legacy of Rome in Western Europe.
As an aside, there was na article a few years back in British Archaeology (one of the Uk's two national archaeological magazines) that looked at the way in which the Anglo-Saxon kings in England (Offa onwards) tried to present themselves as the successors to Rome in Britain.
As an aside, there was na article a few years back in British Archaeology (one of the Uk's two national archaeological magazines) that looked at the way in which the Anglo-Saxon kings in England (Offa onwards) tried to present themselves as the successors to Rome in Britain.
Oh course, how did I manage to forget!
Now you must read it from start to finish as penance...
Now you must read it from start to finish as penance...
Bang goes my weekend
Britain one of the most loyal provinces????! Bwahahahahahahahahaha! Sorry.
From the early 4th century onwards, Britain was a constant source of trouble for the Empire. Every few years, some ambitious Legion commander would try to usurp the throne, then troops had to be sent there root out his supporters and opportunistic barbarians who'd use the reduced strength there to invade. The British had a very bad image in that time, until in 410, Honorius, after defeating another rebellion on the continent, basically told the British "Go away. We don't want you." That was unprecedented. The Romans had had to cede Land to enemies, but they never just abandoned a province.
Roman ways seem to have continued for some time. In about 430 St. Germanus was sent to Britain to deal with the Pelagian heretics. They were banished because of Roman law, an Eastern law that went into effect only in 418. (Legal theory was that there was one Empire, but different parts were administered by different Emperors. So East Roman laws were equally valid in the West, and vice versa, and, it seems, also in the Britanniae, which could be considered a third Roman Empire in that time)
From the early 4th century onwards, Britain was a constant source of trouble for the Empire. Every few years, some ambitious Legion commander would try to usurp the throne, then troops had to be sent there root out his supporters and opportunistic barbarians who'd use the reduced strength there to invade. The British had a very bad image in that time, until in 410, Honorius, after defeating another rebellion on the continent, basically told the British "Go away. We don't want you." That was unprecedented. The Romans had had to cede Land to enemies, but they never just abandoned a province.
Roman ways seem to have continued for some time. In about 430 St. Germanus was sent to Britain to deal with the Pelagian heretics. They were banished because of Roman law, an Eastern law that went into effect only in 418. (Legal theory was that there was one Empire, but different parts were administered by different Emperors. So East Roman laws were equally valid in the West, and vice versa, and, it seems, also in the Britanniae, which could be considered a third Roman Empire in that time)
Hadn't they abandoned Dacia before Britain?
Yes, a romanized life style did continue for quite some time (Wroxeter is the best example) and there were close links with the empire for many years to come, some historians and archaeologists have recently started to discuss the idea that the population, or at leats parts of the ruling elite, considered themselves Roman long after 410.
Yes, a romanized life style did continue for quite some time (Wroxeter is the best example) and there were close links with the empire for many years to come, some historians and archaeologists have recently started to discuss the idea that the population, or at leats parts of the ruling elite, considered themselves Roman long after 410.