Both the 55 and 54 BC Roman expeditions left from Boulogne (Portus Itius), and landed at Deal, a few miles northeast of Dover. In 55 BC, the Roman cavalry ships were sent back to Gaul by a storm, and Caesar's troops were kept to the shore. In 54 BC, a larger Roman expedition landed at Deal and went inland along the River Thames.
What Actually Happened?
The first Roman landing in Britain (55 BC)
Caesar probably measnt to take an expedition to Britain in 56 BC, a year when the Armorican tribes in the coast of Britanny stood up against the Romans with aid from the tribes of southern Britain. The experdition was more delayed by battles with tribes who guarded the Straits of Dover.
At last, on August 26, 55 BC, two Roman Legions (about 10,000 soldiers) under Caesar's individual order crossed the channel in a group of transport ships leaving from Boulogne. By the next morning, August 27, the Roman ships were just off the white cliffs of Dover. The cliff tops were lined with British men ready to fight. The Romans, because of that, sailed several miles further northeast up the coastline and landed on the flat, Deal beach.
The British met the legionaries at the beach with a big force, including warriors in horse pulled chariots, an old fighting way. After an initial battle, the British war leaders sought a truce, and handed over hostages.
Four days later, when Roman ships with 500 cavalry soldiers and horses also tried to make the channel crossing, they were driven back to France by bad weather. The same storm seriously damaged many of the Roman ships on the beach at Deal. This meant Caesar's initial landing force having no cavalry, which limited the moving of the 55 BC operations. It was also unfortunate for the planned exploration since there were no cavalry and without them transport was slow. Also the British forces began new attacks.
So the Roman legions had to make do in a coastal area which they found both politically hostile, and naturally fertile. The need to procure food locally meant scouting into the nearby countryside. Caesar reports big grain crops along a heavily populated coastline. After repairing most of the ships, Caesar ordered a return to Gaul, and finishing the exploration of 55 BC.
The second Roman expedition to Britain (54 BC)
The next year saw the Romans return with a much larger expedition to Britain, with a total of 800 ships used to transport five legions and 2000 horses. They sailed from Boulogne at night on July 6, and landed unopposed the next day on the beach between Deal and Sandwich.
When seeing the large size of the Roman force, the British fell inland to higher ground. Caesar immediately marched inland with most of his troops to the Stour River, about 12 miles from the beach landing camp. At dawm on the 8th of July, 54 BC, the Romans encountered British forces at a ford on the Stour (later it was Canterbury). The Romans easily got rid of the British, who retreated to a hill fort. The Seventh Roman legion attacked the hillfort but were blocked by trees piled in the entrance by the British. The Roman troops filled in the outer ditch with earth, making a ramp across it, and then capturing the fort.
Bad news came for the Romans, shortly after from the beach camp at Deal. A storm had pushed most of the Roman ships on shore. The main body of troops returned to the beach, to find at least forty boats completely wrecked. Security measures meant Caesar's army to spend ten long days building a land fort.
During this ten day annoyence, a large British force was commanded by a single person, Cassivellaunus. The army of Cassivellaunus met the Romans again at the Stour crossing. The British used chariots, with two horses pulling a driver and warrior, the second hurling javelins, then dismounting at close quarters to fight hand to hand. After a hard fought battle, the Romans drove back the British, and then followed Cassivellaunus toward the Thames.
In the wooded terrain north of the River Thames, Cassivellaunus used the scorched earth method, destroying local food sources and using chariots to annoy the Roman legions. But close by tribes who resented the authority of Cassivellaunus, including the Trinovantes, Cenimagni, Segontiaci, Ancalites, Bibroci and Cassthen went over to the Romans.
Caesar then found the location of the location of the stronghold of Cassivellaunus, the hill fort at Wheathampstead, on the west bank of the River Lea. Even as the Roman army under Caesar were organizing outside his fort's gates, Cassivellaunus made the bold move of ordering his allies in Kent to attack the Roman beach camp at Deal. This attack failed. Cassivellaunus then gave up. The Roman legions left Britain in early September, 54 BC. They didn’t return again for 97 years, when the invasion of Claudius in AD 43 began the real Roman conquest of Britain.
Deal Beach in Kent.
This shoreline near Walmer Castle is probably in the area where Julius Caesar and his troops landed during the two Roman atacks at Britain of 55 and 54 BC. The beach is shingle and not sand.
Were His Visits A failure Or A Success?
The answer to this really depends on the way you look at this. On the one hand he didn’t take over England so it would seem like a failure. But he did kill quite a few people in England over the battles that he was here. On the other hand people could look at it as a success. Caesar's two expeditions provided basic information on the terrain, inhabitants, and political, economic and militarytactics of Britain. They showed that Britain was way out of date and their military was not very good. Now the Romans knew that Britain wasn’t a threat and they could take it if they wanted. If it was me I would look back on it as a victory.
By Daniel Barnes
Word Count: 1282
