Author: Becky Brown

Year 4 History
The Romans

Key Figures

Julius Caesar Invades in 55 BC and 54 BC
The Roman General Julius Caesar made two attempts to conquer Britain. He wanted to add the rich land to the Roman Empire and punish the Celts for helping his enemies. His legions weren’t able to overcome the Celts in 55 BC or 54 BC, but some leaders did pay tributes (a tax) so the Romans would leave. This meant the Celts could continue to live as they were.

Emperor Claudius Conquers Britain in AD 43
In AD 43, Emperor Claudius launched a third attack on Britain. He sent a powerful and well-organised army of around 40,000 men (that landed in southern England) to conquer the Celtic tribes. This time, much of Britain (or Britannia as the Romans called it) did become another province of Rome.

Key Events

Key Vocabulary

Auxiliary soldier	A helper recruited from a non-Roman tribe
Barbarian	A person from a different land believed to be inferior
Celts	People living in Britain in tribes, including the Iceni, Brigantes and Catuvellanuni.
Citizen	A person with all the rights and protection of a nation or land. In the Roman Empire only citizens were able to vote.
Conquest	Taking control of a place by force, often with an army.
Emperor	The ruler of an empire
Legionary	A soldier in the Roman army
Legion	A large section of the Roman army, made up of around 5000 soldiers.
Rebellion	An uprising of revolt by people who want to challenge what they believe is unfair treatment by rulers.
Roman Empire	The name used for the land that was controlled by the Romans, including large parts of Europe plus parts of North Africa and West Asia.
Tribe	A group of people who share the same culture and values.

Sticky learning: Can you answer any of these questions?
Why did the Romans leave sunny Italy to invade this cold island on the edge of the empire?
Why did Boudicca stand up to the Romans and what image do we have of her today?
How were the Romans able to keep control over such a vast empire?
How did the Roman way of life contrast with the Celtic lifestyle they found when they arrived and how do we know?
How can we solve the mystery of why this great empire came to an end
How much of our lives today can possibly be influenced by the Romans who lived here 2,000 years ago?
Scan this QR code and complete the Roman quiz,

Before the Romans invaded, there was no single king or queen ruling the nation.
Britain was made up of different tribes.
Around 2000 years ago, Britain was ruled by the Celts. This changed when the Roman army began building their empire across Europe.
Rome was led by a number of different emperors.
An emperor is a man who rules an empire or is the head of state in an empire.