final blog

Here is my essay. Worked on it for about 2hours tonight. I would have added images but my computer is going so slow i dont think it could have handled it.

Why and how did Caesar invade Britain?

Caesar invaded Britain in two stages or expeditions, the first in 55BC and the second in 54BC, the latter of these resulting in Roman dominance. Caesar invaded Britain for a number of reasons, the main of these being that he realized the Britons were giving aid to the tribes of Gaul, during Caesars attacks, from across the channel which gave him and excuse to investigate, but there are also a number of possible underlying reasons such as prestige and a search for riches.

There are many possible reasons why Caesar invaded Britain. According to many secondary sources and the only primary source, Caesar’s Commentaries of the Gallic Wars, primarily Caesar invaded Britain as he became aware that aid was being given to the ‘enemy’ (Gallic tribes) from the Britons. Especially he noticed strong commercial links (trade) in Armorica (territory between Seine and Loire Rivers including the Brittany Peninsula) and political and military contacts in Belgic Gaul (Northern Gaul on West bank of Rhine). He is also said to have been frustrated by the fact that the defeated enemy could run away to Britain and regroup/ seek refuge. A major underlying reason for Caesar to invade Britain is at his time Britain was on the edge of the Romans ‘known world’, therefore the prestige and title of being the first Roman to invade Britain would have added to his already high reputation and have been extremely appealing. Other sources imply Caesar was investigating Britain’s mineral wealth (silver, iron, tin and copper) and economic potential. This could have been due to the fact that Caesar was seeing the large amounts of wealth the Britons were sending to aid the Gallic tribes suggesting that they were rich and plentiful in resource.

Caesar's first invasion of Britain took place in 55BC. This expedition was roughly planned and not greatly successful apart from gathering useful intelligence. Leaving for Port Ittius, Caesar invaded Britain with two Roman legions and when he arrived offshore( at Dover) he was met with the sight of large numbers of the Britons in arms, forcing him to land seven miles further down the coast(at Deal). The Britons followed and attempted to prevent the Roman landing. They attacked Romans on the shore and in the shallows beating them back until Caesar used warships to give missile attack, driving the Britons back and allowing Caesars forces to land, and they eventually forced the Britons to retreat. The Britons then sent ambassadors negotiating peace to Caesar including Commius (king of a Gallic tribe and trusted by Caesar) and some who had come to continent earlier. Caesar accepted their submission and hostages and more British tribes followed. The five hundred cavalry attempted to follow the fleet but a massive storm hit and forced them back to continent. Further storms and high tide damaged many ships as they hit each other. After this, ambassadors from the British tribes sneaked out of camp and renewed war on the Romans after realizing their small numbers, lack of ships and resources. Caesar gathered as much corn as possible from the country, used wood from the wrecked ships to repair others, and sent messengers to continent requesting supplies. He then sent one legion to forage which the Britons attacked and so Caesar sent two cohorts and marched out to the legion and together they retreated back to the camp.

The Britons retreated and this was followed by seven days of storms where neither side could make an attack. After this the Britons gathered large forces and so Caesar set up a defensive position in the camp. The Britons attempted an attack but were beaten back and received great losses. The British tribes sent more ambassadors to Caesar asking for forgiveness and Caesar accepted, doubling the amount of hostages and ordering they be brought back to the continent. The British tribes accepted and Caesar set sail back to the continent with the entire fleet except two ships that were blown off course and landed further down the coast of Gaul, so marching back to Port Ittius.

Caesar invaded Britain for a second time in 54BC, which was better planned and a larger scale invasion, only coming to an end due to sudden revolts in Gaul. Caesar invaded with five legions and two thousand cavalry with eight hundred ships landing in the same spot as the last, this time unopposed. Leaving ten cohorts and three hundred cavalry at sea to guard the ships under Q. Atrius, Caesar found a good spot for a camp further inland and advanced twelve miles in the night. The Britons attacked the Romans from the woods where they held a fort. The Romans then overthrew the fort and drove Britons away. After this a horse from Q Atrius arrived reporting that a storm had destroyed many ships (40 ships lost, remainder had to be repaired). Caesar wrote to continent to build ships and send men to repair them. Caesar also ordered the remaining ships to be hauled onto the shore in ten days and fortified the Roman camp. The Britons rallied under Cassivellaunus (they had placed him as leader after be alarmed by size of roman force). The Britons cavalry and chariots made small attacks on the marching Romans and so the Romans drove them back .Then the Britons attacked those who were outside in fields near the camp. Caesar sent two cohorts to aid them and the Britons and Romans attacked each other, after the Britons had gathered on a hill, and the Romans forced them to retreat. Caesar then led his armies over the river Thames against opposing Britons and forced Cassivellaunus to retreat with his forces into the woods where he observed the Romans march. The Britons plundered the lands before the Romans reached them and made small skirmishes on them.

The Trinobantes (under Mandubratius) sent ambassadors to Caesar promising him their surrender and asking for protection from the violence of Cassivellaunus. Caesar accepted (after being given 40 hostages and corn) and other tribes followed the Trinobantes. Caesar accepted their surrender and from them, learned of Cassivellaunus’s capitol town and place of hiding. Caesar advanced to it and found it heavily fortified. The Romans attacked and the Britons were forced to other side of town. Cassivellaunus sent messages into Kent near the sea where four kings resided (loyal to him) and urges them to gather their forces and attack the roman camp. They did this but Romans slaughtered them and captured their leader (Lugotorix) and so the surviving Britons pulled out. After this Cassivellaunus sent ambassadors to Caesar submitting to Rome. Caesar accepted as he had plans to return to Gaul for winter due to sudden revolts in Gaul. Caesar left for Gaul in two loads due to the increased numbers(due to prisoners and men being sent from continent) after demanding hostages, prescribing the amount of tribute that Britain must pay to Rome, and forbidding Cassivellaunus to wage war on Mandubratius or the Trinobantes .

Overall, Caesar invaded Britain for a number of possible reasons but the only reason the primary source at the time gives is because Caesar became aware of Britain giving aid to Gallic tribes and so this is probably most accurate despite being affected by some bias. Caesar invaded Britain in two separate invasions, the last of which being more successful and on a larger scale and providing Rome with useful information for future reference.