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Roman Britain: A New History 55 BC-AD 450 Paperback – February 15, 2013

by Patricia Southern (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 109 ratings
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For nearly four centuries, from AD 43 to 410, Britain was a small province on the north-western edge of the vast Roman Empire. Though it was small, it was not insignificant. There were more Roman soldiers in Britain than there were in the provinces of North Africa, and the governors who were appointed by the Emperor were among the most prominent men of their day, at the peak of their careers. People from all classes of Roman Britain's multi-cultural and varied society can still speak to us, indirectly via the works of ancient historians, annalists and biographers, and directly from building inscriptions, religious dedications, gravestones, graffiti, leaden curse tablets, artefacts and coins. But perhaps the most vivid source is the corpus of letters from the fort at Vindolanda in Northumberland, where named individuals talk about birthday parties and complain about the terrible state of the roads. This book uses a variety of sources to document the military, political, and social history of Roman Britain, from Julius Caesar's brief invasions in the first century BC to the fifth century AD when Imperial government came to an end.
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  1. Print length
    464 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Amberley Publishing
  4. Publication date
    February 15, 2013
  5. Dimensions
    4.88 x 1.2 x 7.8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1445611902
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1445611907
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Patricia Southern is an acknowledged expert the history of ancient Rome. Her interest began very early, fostered by books and the wonderful epic films that they don't make any more. This obsession with the Romans has never waned, so whilst working full time as a librarian she studied for a BA degree in Ancient History with the external department of the University of London, and for an MPhil in Roman Frontier Studies at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, where she was Librarian of the Archaeology Department for many years. She has written many books on Roman history and contributed numerous articles on Roman history to the BBC History website and the academic Roman studies journal Britannia.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Amberley Publishing; Reprint edition (February 15, 2013)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1445611902
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1445611907
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.6 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.88 x 1.2 x 7.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 109 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
109 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Peter D. Cornwell
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and Accessible - Highly Recommended
Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2014
Verified Purchase
First an admission - I knew the author when she was the Librarian at the Archaeology Department of Newcastle University, and studied there as a student. Even then her knowledge of the subject area was encyclopedic, and this book reflects the fact that her knowledge has only grown in the intervening 25(!) years. The author draws upon extensive archaeological and literary resources to paint a vivid picture of the province from the expeditions of Caesar through to the eventual collapse and transition of the 5th century. The prose is often witty and always engaging. The book stands apart from many of the more traditional texts in this field by combining accessibility with academic rigor, a feat that many scholars of this period have failed to achieve. To conclude, a great book and highly recommended for anyone wanting to learn more about such a magnificent period of Roman and British history!
13 people found this helpful
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Arrowsmith
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2014
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a very informative and well written book - a mass of Information well presented
2 people found this helpful
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Marilyn
5.0 out of 5 stars Roman Britain by Patricia Southern
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2012
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Roman Britain by Patricia Southern is a fascinating book. She is extremely knowledgeable in her field of expertise but makes the narrative very readable and interesting for a reader interested in this subject and desiring to learn the latest theories about the Roman occupation. I completed an internship in Newcastle-upon-Tyne which is near Hadrian's Wall of the Roman period and this book brought many wonderful memories back to life. In addition it has introduced me to many other interesting aspects of this period in English and Roman history. It is a fascinating and entertaining read.
6 people found this helpful
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Michael Parrino
4.0 out of 5 stars A relatively novel approach for me to combining history and archaeology.
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2013
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This is a well written book by an authoritative writer. I think she did a good job. I enjoyed it. I just wish there was more known about the period of 400 to 600 A.D. both historically and archaeologically.
3 people found this helpful
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mistress
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2020
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Great book and an easy read!! Flows very naturally. Well put together!
One person found this helpful
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lynn
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2015
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great book on Roman sites in Britian
2 people found this helpful
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JPS
4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview about how little we really know
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2013
There are at least three other books with the same title. There are also a host more from various other historians and/or archaeologists covering the same topic: Roman Britain. I have read some of them, but by no means all of them so I am in no position and do not intend to make sweeping comparisons. It may not be perfect. I found a few "glitches" in it. Some things looked a bit odd, or perhaps even a bit questionable, and I will get back to these later on.

To begin with, the reader needs to understand what the author seems to have tried to achieve and how she has - quite deliberately - limited herself to what is really known. This is what you would expect any good historian to do, although it can be quite difficult and it raises at least two sets of issues.

The first set of issues arises when realising how little we really know about "Roman Britain" and how much we have to rely upon comparisons with other parts of the Empire, some of which may not always be relevant. This is something that is very well shown and illustrated across the book. A related point here is that the main advances in Roman history in general, and Roman Britain in general, are due to archaeology and the numerous findings that have been discovered. However, even in Britain, where archaeology started earlier than in most places and where there is still some much to find, there are limits to the information it can provide. This is also something that the author shows rather well and she mostly refuses the kind of unverifiable speculations and theories that could have so easily side-tracked her.

For this in particular, the book and its author deserve quite a lot of credit, especially since it can easily lead to misunderstandings and disappointments. For instance, a reviewer of the Kindle version of this book complained that it was "a history of Roman Britain written entirely from a Roman perspective." This is a perfectly correct statement. It may even be exactly what the author intended to do although whether intended or not, there was simply no alternative, given that the facts about the Britons (that is the collection of tribes that populated the island) are even fewer than for the Romans. The conclusion is that it is simply not possible to write a history of Roman Britain with "insights into what the indigenous population did or thought". Consequently, it seems rather unfair to blame the author for not having tried to do something that is simply not possible.

A related criticism is that this book has an "almost exclusive focus on military affairs." The statement is perfectly accurate. Whether this should be seen as a criticism is perhaps more questionable. Patricia Southern has written extensively on the Roman army. This book reflects this fact and even includes bits and pieces from her more general volume on the Roman army, with a number of examples from the Roman Army in Britain being found in both volumes. There are also two other reasons explaining the focus on military affairs and the Roman Army. One is the fact that the Roman Army is perhaps better documented, and the other is that it played a huge and complex role in the development of Roman provinces in general, and Roman Britain. Both reasons are well and rather convincingly explained in the book.

Apart from its obvious "law and order" and strictly military role, it also played a considerable economic role. Provided for Roman forces was a huge market, or more accurately a series of large markets in each of the provinces were significant forces were stationed. The economic role of the Roman Army was also indirect. Many of the forts that were evacuated as the army moved to the north became the sites of Roman towns and Roman engineers did occasionally help edify public buildings, for instance.

Two further advantages of this book, for a so-called "general reader" or someone not very familiar with the history of Rome, and of Roman Britain especially, are the way it is written and the structure that Patricia Southern has chosen to follow. The contents are presented as simply as possible, that is chronologically. A number of boxes are scattered across it to explain and focus on specific points. The text itself is indeed presented as a matter of fact way, using plain layman English, with explanations and translations being provided as soon as a "specialised" or Latin term is used. As a result, the contents are clear, easy to access and easy to understand.

There may however be a "price to pay" for this. Because this book is about facts, history and archaeology, the author avoids most scholarly discussions and often does not present the various debates and interpretations. She just mentions that this or that issue happens to be controversial. So, in the case of the battle of Mount Graupius, for instance, do not expect this book to contain a lengthy presentation of all the theories about the location of Agricola's main and major victory: you will not find this. A related effect is that the contents, which I happened to find fascinating, may "feel" somewhat "dull" for those who might not be "Roman buffs". Do not, for instance, expect to be "entertained" in a Tom Holland style, although, now and again, some of Pat Southern's comments and dry humour might make you smile.

Then there are a number of little "glitches". One is a (limited) number of repetitions, because the same issue may pop up in different periods of Roman Britain and it gets repeated. This should however not be exaggerated. There are relatively few such repetitions and when they do occur, the author keeps them to a minimum - a couple of sentences to make the reader aware that a given topic was also an issue in the period under review. A second type of "glitch" results from the fact that the book is an overview. They are mostly simplifications and details which arise as the author attempts to cut a long story short while still preserving the core of it. For instance, Stilicho is presented as "by birth a Vandal". It seems that he was only half-Vandal. A slightly different case is illustrated by the following sentence: "the situation changed in 409, when Arcadius, Emperor of Constantinople, died." Contrary to what this sentence might suggest, Arcadius had died in May 408.

Despite this, I found that the book was a rather good starting point for someone (such as a general reader or perhaps an undergraduate student) interested in Roman Britain. It is also a rather good overview, regardless of how much one may know (of believe to know) on the topic. Four solid stars.
16 people found this helpful
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Anonymous123
2.0 out of 5 stars Dry, dry, dry
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
Too much on who was govervor of Britain when; very little on life and society in Roman Britain. Very disappointing.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Rob Lundy
5.0 out of 5 stars A very informative read.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 15, 2022
Verified Purchase
During a recent trip to Hadrian’s Wall and the Roman settlement at Vindolanda I realised there were many gaps in my knowledge of Roman Britain. I randomly selected Patricia Southern’s book which filled in all the gaps. It is very readable and there a many illustrations which I found very useful. It is quite easy to get bogged down with all the similar sounding Roman names but this did not spoil my enjoyment of the book. For an thorough introduction to this part of our history I would definitely recommend Patricia Southern’s book and I will be looking out for more of her work.
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Jerry J Brett
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on April 26, 2015
Verified Purchase
As advertised and arrived on time.
Report
JPS
4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview about how little we really know
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2013
Verified Purchase
There are at least three other books with the same title. There are also a host more from various other historians and/or archaeologists covering the same topic: Roman Britain. I have read some of them, but by no means all of them so I am in no position and do not intend to make sweeping comparisons. It may not be perfect. I found a few "glitches" in it. Some things looked a bit odd, or perhaps even a bit questionable, and I will get back to these later on.

To begin with, the reader needs to understand what the author seems to have tried to achieve and how she has - quite deliberately - limited herself to what is really known. This is what you would expect any good historian to do, although it can be quite difficult and it raises at least two sets of issues.

The first set of issues arises when realising how little we really know about "Roman Britain" and how much we have to rely upon comparisons with other parts of the Empire, some of which may not always be relevant. This is something that is very well shown and illustrated across the book. A related point here is that the main advances in Roman history in general, and Roman Britain in general, are due to archaeology and the numerous findings that have been discovered. However, even in Britain, where archaeology started earlier than in most places and where there is still some much to find, there are limits to the information it can provide. This is also something that the author shows rather well and she mostly refuses the kind of unverifiable speculations and theories that could have so easily side-tracked her.

For this in particular, the book and its author deserve quite a lot of credit, especially since it can easily lead to misunderstandings and disappointments. For instance, a reviewer of the Kindle version of this book complained that it was "a history of Roman Britain written entirely from a Roman perspective." This is a perfectly correct statement. It may even be exactly what the author intended to do although whether intended or not, there was simply no alternative, given that the facts about the Britons (that is the collection of tribes that populated the island) are even fewer than for the Romans. The conclusion is that it is simply not possible to write a history of Roman Britain with "insights into what the indigenous population did or thought". Consequently, it seems rather unfair to blame the author for not having tried to do something that is simply not possible.

A related criticism is that this book has an "almost exclusive focus on military affairs." The statement is perfectly accurate. Whether this should be seen as a criticism is perhaps more questionable. Patricia Southern has written extensively on the Roman army. This book reflects this fact and even includes bits and pieces from her more general volume on the Roman army, with a number of examples from the Roman Army in Britain being found in both volumes. There are also two other reasons explaining the focus on military affairs and the Roman Army. One is the fact that the Roman Army is perhaps better documented, and the other is that it played a huge and complex role in the development of Roman provinces in general, and Roman Britain. Both reasons are well and rather convincingly explained in the book.

Apart from its obvious "law and order" and strictly military role, it also played a considerable economic role. Provided for Roman forces was a huge market, or more accurately a series of large markets in each of the provinces were significant forces were stationed. The economic role of the Roman Army was also indirect. Many of the forts that were evacuated as the army moved to the north became the sites of Roman towns and Roman engineers did occasionally help edify public buildings, for instance.

Two further advantages of this book, for a so-called "general reader" or someone not very familiar with the history of Rome, and of Roman Britain especially, are the way it is written and the structure that Patricia Southern has chosen to follow. The contents are presented as simply as possible, that is chronologically. A number of boxes are scattered across it to explain and focus on specific points. The text itself is indeed presented as a matter of fact way, using plain layman English, with explanations and translations being provided as soon as a "specialised" or Latin term is used. As a result, the contents are clear, easy to access and easy to understand.

There may however be a "price to pay" for this. Because this book is about facts, history and archaeology, the author avoids most scholarly discussions and often does not present the various debates and interpretations. She just mentions that this or that issue happens to be controversial. So, in the case of the battle of Mount Graupius, for instance, do not expect this book to contain a lengthy presentation of all the theories about the location of Agricola's main and major victory: you will not find this. A related effect is that the contents, which I happened to find fascinating, may "feel" somewhat "dull" for those who might not be "Roman buffs". Do not, for instance, expect to be "entertained" in a Tom Holland style, although, now and again, some of Pat Southern's comments and dry humour might make you smile.

Then there are a number of little "glitches". One is a (limited) number of repetitions, because the same issue may pop up in different periods of Roman Britain and it gets repeated. This should however not be exaggerated. There are relatively few such repetitions and when they do occur, the author keeps them to a minimum - a couple of sentences to make the reader aware that a given topic was also an issue in the period under review. A second type of "glitch" results from the fact that the book is an overview. They are mostly simplifications and details which arise as the author attempts to cut a long story short while still preserving the core of it. For instance, Stilicho is presented as "by birth a Vandal". It seems that he was only half-Vandal. A slightly different case is illustrated by the following sentence: "the situation changed in 409, when Arcadius, Emperor of Constantinople, died." Contrary to what this sentence might suggest, Arcadius had died in May 408.

Despite this, I found that the book was a rather good starting point for someone (such as a general reader or perhaps an undergraduate student) interested in Roman Britain. It is also a rather good overview, regardless of how much one may know (of believe to know) on the topic. Four solid stars.
15 people found this helpful
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duncan sanderson
5.0 out of 5 stars The factslike
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2022
Verified Purchase
Liked attention to informative detail. Brilliant book
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Daniel Owen
3.0 out of 5 stars A detailed but very limited account
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 3, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is the first and (so far) only book I have read on Roman Britain. I wanted a broad, narrative survey history of the period, to give me an introduction into a topic I knew little about. I found this book rather unsatisfying in that respect.

There is no doubt that Southern knows her stuff when it comes to Ancient Rome. She writes very clearly, with authority and often with wit. However, I found this book lacking in three key respects.

The first is that this is a history of Roman Britain written entirely from a Roman perspective. The native Britons (assorted tribes inhabiting the British Isles when the Romans invaded - there was, of course, no 'Britain' in any meaningful sense) are almost entirely absent and almost entirely silent in this book. A tribe might get a passing mention here and there - usually when it was rebelling against the Romans - but there is no insight into what the indigenous population did or thought, how they lived, how their lives were changed by Roman occupation, how much they became Romanised or even why they so frequently rebelled. We are told that native Britons lived in tribes, but there is no explanation of how a tribe, or the tribal system in general, functioned and how it changed over the period. Southern ensures that, if she knows it, she gives you the name of every provincial governor or Roman military commander of sufficient seniority to be worth mentioning, no matter how inconsequential they actually were, but the Britons are - with I think the sole exceptions of Boudicca, Calgacus and Cogidubnus - entirely anonymous.

Of course, this may be because of the lack of archaeological and historical evidence to provide these details, and it may be that every book on Roman Britain has no choice but to take the same approach for that reason. However, that doesn't explain the second shortcoming I felt with the book which was its almost exclusive focus on military affairs. Granted, there is some detail on governmental administration (although some of this is also military), but civilian life received scant attention. The design and development of civilian buildings get one or two fleeting mentions, but no detail on the design of forts and milecastles seems too trivial to describe minutely. There is virtually no mention of economics, culture or religion throughout the entire 400-year period, but endless speculation on the whereabouts and movements of individual legions from one year to the next, and Southern is clearly vexed when it is not known who the provincial governor was for any given three-year stretch. Yet, even as a military history, the book is incomplete - with much information on organisational structure and buildings but little description of Roman military tactics, strategy or technology.

My final concern with this book is that it seemed to me to adopt a very facts-and-dates approach to history. The sequence of events is faithfully, and as accurately as possible, reported. This is sometimes interesting and major developments, like Boudicca's revolt, the construction of Hadrian's Wall or Carausius' empire, benefit from this approach and Southern's attention to detail. But through much of the book the succession of Roman officials, suppressed revolts and legion relocations becomes a little tedious. Southern appears to have no central thesis, nor does she obviously present any over-arching themes across the period or any part of it. She draws no conclusions.

In the very last paragraph of the book, Southern asks you to try and imagine the scale and depth of the changes in Romano-Britons' lifestyles, culture and economy that a full 400 years of occupation must have brought about. I was disappointed that she said so little about these things in the course of the preceding book.
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