This course investigates both the impact of the Roman invasion upon Britain and also the role and function of Britain within the wider Roman empire. Drawing upon historical and archaeological sources, the course will examine the effects of the Roman conquest on areas such as religion, economics, administration and defence. The emergence of new towns and the long term influence of the Roman occupation on the physical landscape of Britain will also be considered. We will seek to situate our study of such topics within the framework of a broader analysis of the nature of Roman imperialism and the meaning of terms such as ‘Romanisation.’ Full advantage will be taken of the fact that we are based in the Roman city of Bath. When and wherever possible, class visits and local examples will be used to illustrate the ideas under discussion.

Professor: ASE faculty