7 Reasons Why The Romans Invaded Britain!

 

The Romans brought so much to the world- without them we wouldn't have toilets, sewers, central heating or the idea of writing! But why did they want to invade (take over) Britain- especially when the Roman Empire seemed so big anyway and Britain seemed a dull and wet place- completely different to the sunshine they were used to in Rome! Julius Caesar tentatively tried to launch an invasion, however he was unsuccessful. Claudius did manage to complete an invasion in 43AD and the Romans ruled Britain from this date until 410AD. Here are 7 reasons why the Romans invaded Britain

1. To make the Roman Empire even bigger! 

The Romans had a firm belief that the Roman Empire should continue to expand- despite the fact that it was already huge! They wanted the Roman Empire to be as big and as powerful as possible. 

2. To capture slaves

The Romans had a huge Empire- and huge Empires need people to run them and work in them. The Romans wanted to capture the Britons and make them work in their new farms and build their roads and towns. The Romans were great at capturing new lands, but they didn't want to get their hands dirty by actually working in them!

3. To use British farmlands

Britain was a very fertile land which means crops and vegetables grow very well- it is not too hot, not too cold and has just the right amount of rainfall to encourage plants to grow. The Romans wanted to steal this farmland in order to grow crops to feed the Roman Army and the rest of the Empire. 

4. For wood

Britain had lots and lots of forests. You all know what forests are made from - wood. Wood is a very good material for building houses and for making things with. It is cheap, strong and easy to work with. The Romans wished to steal the British wood so they could make a range of things from weapons to houses.

5. For metals- precious and non precious

Romans, like any other civilisation, loved jewellery- the more expensive the better. They had heard that Britain had al ot of gold and silver and so decided to take it away. Also in Britain was a range of non precious metals such as tin and lead which they could also make a range of things from. This included weapons. plates, forks and cups. 

6. To get revenge

In a previous war, the Romans, led by Julius Caesar, had fought against Gaul- which is now modern day France. During these conflicts, the Britons had helped Gaul fight against the Romans. The Romans sought revenge for this by invading Britain to teach them a lesson for crossing them!

7. To capture sheep

The rapidly growing Roman Empire needed to clothe the people who lived within it. In Britain, there were lots of sheep roaming the hills and countryside. They had a bright idea of claiming the British sheep in order to fashion the sheep's wool into clothing- especially togas- which were a popular style of dress during Roman times. 

Even though Ancient Britain seemed to be a place that was wet, dull and dour, there were lots of things that attracted the Romans to invade Britain. Not only did they wish to expand the Empire as much as they could, Britain also had lots of natural resources the Romans were particularly keen on such as metals, forests and slaves. No wonder they stayed for almost 400 years!