How fully was Britain Romanised?

After the Roman invasion, Britain's economy became more Romanised. Procurators, who, although socially inferior to governors, had direct access to the Emperor, controlled the financial administration of Britain. This shows the importance placed on the issue of financial administration - that the role would be given to such a high ranking party. Most peaceful provinces were run by the Senate, but the whole of Britain was under the Emperor's control, suggesting in a way that it was not fully Romanised, as it had to be under strict control in order to prevent revolt. Although Britons had some influence in the running of their country, governors were chosen from the Roman senatorial classes, and Britons were not counted as Roman citizens unless they had parents that had served in the auxiliary. This shows that the political structure essentially became Romanised, but there were still some factors segregating the British.

The toleration of taxes - the annona, or corn-tax, tributum, on produce of land, tributum capitis, on property, and inheritance taxes on estates - by the British also shows that they accepted the Roman influence and control over Britain. As Dio Cassius said, "The barbarians were adapting themselves to Roman ways." However, "they had not forgotten their ancestral habits, their native manners, their old life of independence, or the power derived from arms." The Romans wanted to control Britain financially in order to demonstrate their power to other nations. Their manipulation is clear in that they forced Britons to pay their tax in grain. This meant that people would have to travel long distances to buy the grain. The people's acceptance of this pointless system shows the extent of their Romanisation.

Roman influence in Britain is evident through the population shift from rural to urban areas. Tribes were evidence of primitive communities, so to forsake these in order to become more 'civilised' and live more collectively shows an acceptance of Roman ways. Moreover, the Romans saw cities as a way of controlling the population; the material benefits, such as improved trade, better culture and an improved system of government, would attract those in 'uncivilised' regions. Villas, in particular, grouped around the south of the country, showing the acceptance of Roman ways of living. The villas included many Roman pleasantries, such as heating and mosaics. This shows how people, especially the upper class Romano-British, became more Romanised, and would have defended their province in order to keep the newly acquired Roman wealth.

The development of roads was very important in Romanising Britain. They were planned with precision by military surveyors and architects, as well as local labour. Therefore, they would have been seen as a collaboration and co-operation between the two cultures, showing an acceptance of the developments the Romans brought. There were also milestones, which would have most probably been mass-produced, showing a level of sophistication and important technological progress. The Roman road map, the "Peutinger table" or "Tabula Peutingeriana", shows the influence the Romans had on British roads. Roads were very important for stimulating trade and the growth of cities, such as Water Newton or Chesterton in Cambridgeshire. Huge amounts of gold and silver plate were found, helping a rise in wealth. An altar was even set up to give thanks to the god 'who devised roads and paths', showing the amount of money the Romans pumped into Britain. Roads also allowed soldiers to move more swiftly, and would have provided traders with much improved access around the country. The way Britain worked was revolutionised.

Although Britain had become Romanised in some ways, the revolution in 61 AD shows there was widespread discontent. When Boudicca's husband, leader of the Iceni tribe, died and left her the throne, the Romans would not acknowledge her leadership. They subjected her to a public flogging and ravished her daughters, and forced the Iceni noblemen to surrender their wealth. In a fury, she destroyed three Roman towns - Londinium, Verulamium and Camulodunum. The Romans were ill-prepared the defend themselves against the attacking Celts, but she was eventually defeated, ending with an enormous Celtic slaughter to finish the revolt. Moreover, the Romans' aim in conquering Britain was not actually to fully Romanise it, but to express Roman expansion and power. Also, most of Scotland and the whole of Ireland were never owned by Rome, so there had to be a constant army presence to hold onto power. Language was another barrier; beyond the urban centres, Latin never replaced the Celtic languages as used by the general population.

To conclude, although Roman presence in Britain was widely accepted, and Britain became a largely revolutionised place, there was deep-seated resentment of the occupation. The Romans imposed themselves onto British life using client kings and force, appeasing the British in some ways to maintain their control. However, although the process of Romanisation went a long way, it was never fully complete.

Yasmin Sarioglu 13V