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This project is to catalogue the inhabitants of Britain during the Roman occupation in 43 AD until the Anglo-Saxon invasions c.450 AD.
It will cover all walks of life from tradesmen to legionaries and statesmen whether we know their genealogies or not.
If you know of more names to add to the project please let me know.
- Bath
- Lucius Vitellius Tancinus
- Vettius Benignus
- Peregrinus
- Gaius Severius
- Lucius Marcius
- Claudius Ligurius
- Gaius Protacius
- Gaius Curiatius Saturninus
- Priscus
- Quintus Pompeius
- Sulinus Scultor
- Gaius Calpurnius Receptus
- Calpurnia Trifosa
- Lucius Magnus
- Rusonia Aventina
- Lucius Ulpius Sestius
- Succa Petronia
- Romulus
- Victoria Sabina
- Vibia Jucunda
- Isca (Modern Caerleon)
- Publius Sallienius Thalamus
- Ampeianus
- Lucilianus
- Statorius Maximus
- Liviana
- Rufinus Primus
- Paetinus
- Roesius Modera
- Valerius Maximus
- Flavius Julinus
- Gaius Julius Caecinianus
- Licinius Nerva
- Desticius Juba
- Vitulasius Laetinianus
- Domitius Potentinus
- Aurelius Herculanus
- Titus Flavius Natalis
- Flavius Ingenuinus
- Flavius Flavinus
- Veldicca
- Tadia Vellaunius
- Tadius Exupertus
- Tadia Exuperata
- Caesoria Corocca
- Renatus
- Munatius
- Lestinus
- Lecontius
- Julia Nundina
- Agrius Cimarus
- Julia Secundina
- Gaius Julius Martinus
- Julia Senica
- Julia Veneria
- Julius Alexander
- Julius Belicianus
- Julia Hiberna
- Flavia Flavina
- London
- Vivius Marcianus
- Januaria Martina
- Gaius Valerius Celsus
- Atoninus Dardanus
- Valerius Pudens
- Flavius Agricola
- Albia Faustina
- Julius Valens
- Flavius Attius
- Saturninus
- Aquilinus
- Vicinia
- Ulpius Silvanus
- Marcus Martiannius Pulcher
- Sempronius Sempronianus
- Aulus Alfidius Pompolussa
- Marcus Aurelius Eucarpus
- Aurelia Eucarpia
- Valerius Amandinus
- Valerius Superventor
- Valerius Marcellus
- Claudia Martina
- Anencletes
- Grata
- Dagobiti
- Solinus
- Gaius Pomponius
- Gaius
- Victorious Velantia
- Gaius Julius Alpinus Classicianus
- Julia Pacata Indiana
- Julius Indus
- Vindolanda
Timeline:
43 - Romans, under Aulus Plautius, land at Richborough (Kent) for a full-scale invasion of the island. In the south-east of Britain, Togodumnus and Caratacus have been whipping up anti-Roman feeling and have cut off tribute payments to Rome. Caratacus leads main British resistance to the invasion, but is finally defeated in 51.
51 - Caratacus, British resistance leader, is captured and taken to Rome
61 - Boudicca, queen of the Iceni, led uprising against the Roman occupiers, but is defeated and killed by the Roman governor, Suetonius Paulinus
c.75-77 - The Roman conquest of Britain is complete, as Wales is finally subdued; Julius Agricola is imperial governor (to 84)
122 - Construction of Hadrian's Wall ordered along the northern frontier, for the purpose of hindering incursions of the aggressive tribes there into Britannia
133 - Julius Severus, governor of Britain, is sent to Palestine to crush the revolt
167 - At the request of King Lucius, the missionaries, Phagan and Deruvian,were said to have been sent by Pope Eleutherius to convert the Britons to Christianity. This is, perhaps, the most widely believed of the legends of the founding of Christianity in Britain.
184 - Lucius Artorius Castus, commander of a detachment of Sarmatian conscripts stationed in Britain, led his troops to Gaul to quell a rebellion. This is the first appearance of the name, Artorius, in history and some believe that this Roman military man is the original, or basis, for the Arthurian legend. The theory says that Castus' exploits in Gaul, at the head of a contingent of mounted troops, are the basis for later, similar traditions about "King Arthur," and, further, that the name "Artorius" became a title, or honorific, which was ascribed to a famous warrior in the fifth century.
197 - Clodius Albinus, governor of Britain, another claimant to the Imperial throne, is killed by Severus at the battle of Lyon
208 - Severus goes to defend Britain, and repairs Hadrian's Wall
209 - St. Alban, first British martyr, was killed for his faith in one of the few persecutions of Christians ever to take place on the island, during the governorship of Gaius Junius Faustinus Postumianus (there is controversy about the date of Alban's martyrdom. Some believe it occurred during the persecutions of Diocletian, in the next century, although we opt for the earlier dating).
c.270 - Beginning (highly uncertain dating) of the "Saxon Shore" fort system, a chain of coastal forts in the south and east of Britain, listed in a document known as "Notitia Dignitatum."
287 - Revolt by Carausius, commander of the Roman British fleet, who rules Britain as emperor until murdered by Allectus, a fellow rebel, in 293
306 - Constantine "the Great" was proclaimed Emperor at York.
312 - Constantine defeats and kills Maxentius at battle of Milvian Bridge; Constantine realizes Christian God may be a powerful ally and decides to attempt to co-opt him for his own purposes.
314 - Three British bishops, for the first time, attend a continental church gathering, the Council of Arles.
360's - Series of attacks on Britain from the north by the Picts, the Attacotti and the Irish (Scots), requiring the intervention of Roman generals leading special legions.
369 - Roman general Theodosius drives the Picts and Scots out of Roman Britain
383 - Magnus Maximus (Macsen Wledig), a Spaniard, was proclaimed Emperor in Britain by the island's Roman garrison. With an army of British volunteers, he quickly conquered Gaul, Spain and Italy.
388 - Maximus occupied Rome itself. Theodosius, the eastern Emperor, defeated him in battle and beheaded him in July, 388, with many of the remnant of Maximus' troops settling in Armorica. The net result to Britain was the loss of many valuable troops needed for the island's defense (the "first migration").
395 - Theodosius, the last emperor to rule an undivided empire, died, leaving his one son, Arcadius, emperor in the East and his other son, the young Honorius, emperor in the West. At this point the office of Roman Emperor changed from a position of absolute power to one of being merely a head of state.
396 - The Roman general, Stilicho, acting as regent in the western empire during Honorius' minority, reorganized British defenses decimated by the Magnus Maximus debacle. Began transfer of military authority from Roman commanders to local British chieftains.
397 - The Roman commander, Stilicho, comes to Britain and repels an attack by Picts, Irish and Saxons.
402 - Events on the continent force Stilicho to recall one of the two British legions to assist with the defense of Italy against Alaric and the Visigoths. The recalled legion, known as the Sixth Victrix, was said by Claudian (in "De Bello Gallico," 416) to be "that legion which is stretched before the remoter Britons, which curbs the Scot, and gazes on the tattoo-marks on the pale face of the dying Pict." The barbarians were defeated, this time, at battle of Pollentia.
403 - Victricius, Bishop of Rouen, visited Britain for the purpose of bringing peace to the island's clergy, who were in the midst of a dispute, possibly over the Pelagian heresy.
405 - The British troops, which had been recalled to assist Stilicho, were never returned to Britain as they had to stay in Italy to fight off another, deeper penetration by the barbarian chieftain, Radagaisus.
406 - In early January, 406, a combined barbarian force (Suevi, Alans, Vandals & Burgundians) swept into central Gaul, severing contact between Rome and Britain. In autumn 406, the remaining Roman army in Britain decided to mutiny. One Marcus was proclaimed emperor in Britain, but was immediately assassinated.
407 - In place of the assassinated Marcus, Gratian was elevated "to the purple," but lasted only four months. Constantine III was hailed as the new emperor by Roman garrison in Britian. He proceeded to follow the example of Magnus Maximus by withdrawing the remaining Roman legion, the Second Augusta, and crossing over into Gaul to rally support for his cause. Constantine's departure could be what Nennius called "the end of the Roman Empire in Britain. . ."
408 - With both Roman legions withdrawn, Britain endures devastating attacks by the Picts, Scots and Saxons.
409 - Prosper, in his chronicle, says, "in the fifteenth year of Honorius and Arcadius (409), on account of the languishing state of the Romans, the strength of the Britons was brought to a desperate pass." Under enormous pressure, Britons take matters into their own hands, expelling weak Roman officials and fighting for themselves.
410 - Britain gains "independence" from Rome. The Goths, under Alaric, sack Rome.
Links to Other Projects
- The people in Roman Britain were connected to the people of Ancient Rome
- Some people in Roman Britain were connected to Gallo-Roman families