This Roman Britain timeline looks at the events in Britain from the time the Romans first invaded it to the aftermath of the departure of Roman troops from Britain, from the time of Julius Caesar through the Roman Emperor Honorius' instruction to the Roman Britons to fend for themselves.
55 B.C. | Julius Caesar's first invasion of Britain |
54 B.C. | Julius Caesar's Second invasion of Britain |
5 A.D. | Rome acknowledges Cymbeline king of Britain |
43 A.D. | Under Emperor Claudius, Romans invade: Caratacus leads the resistance |
51 A.D. | Caratacus is defeated, captured and taken to Rome |
61 A.D. | Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni rebels against Britain, but is defeated |
63 A.D. | Joseph of Arimathea's mission to Glastonbury |
75-77 A.D. | Rome's conquest of Britain is complete: Julius Agricola is Britain's Imperial Governor |
80 A.D. | Agricola invades Albion |
122 A.D. | Construction of Hadrian's Wall on the northern frontier |
133 A.D. | Julius Severus, Governor of Britain is sent to Palestine to fight rebels |
184 A.D. | Lucius Artorius Castus, the commander of the conscript troops in Britain leads them to Gaul |
197 A.D. | Clodius Albinus, Governor of Britain is killed by Severus in battle |
208 A.D. | Severus repairs Hadrian's Wall |
287 A.D. | Revolt by Carausius, commander of the Roman British fleet; He rules as emperor |
293 A.D. | Carausius is killed by Allectus, a fellow rebel |
306 A.D. | Constantine is proclaimed emperor at York |
360's | Series of attacks on Britain from the North from Picts, Scots (Irish), and Attacotti: Roman generals intervene |
369 A.D. | Roman general Theodosius drives out the Picts and Scots |
383 A.D. | Magnus Maximus (a Spaniard) is made emperor in Britain by the Roman troops: He leads his troops to conquer Gaul, Spain, and Italy |
388 A.D. | Maximus occupies Rome: Theodosius has Maximus beheaded |
396 A.D. | Stilicho, a Roman general, and the acting regent, transfers military authority from Rome to Britain |
397 A.D. | Stilicho repels a Pictish, Irish and Saxon attack on Britain |
402 A.D. | Stilicho recalls a British legion to help with fighting at home |
405 A.D. | The British troops stay to fight another barbarian invasion of Italy |
406 A.D. | Suevi, Alans, Vandals, and Burgundians attack Gaul and break contact between Rome and Britain: Remaining Roman army in Britain mutinies |
407 A.D. | Constantine III named emperor by Roman troops in Britain: He withdraws the remaining Roman legion, the Second Augusta, to take it to Gaul |
408 A.D. | Devastating attacks by the Picts, Scots and Saxons |
409 A.D. | Britons expel Roman officials and fight for themselves |
410 A.D. | Britain is independent |
c 438 A.D. | Ambrosius Aurelianus probably born |
c 440-50 A.D. | Civil war and famine in Britain; Pictish invasions: Many towns and cities are in ruins. |