Tracing Roman Footprints
Exploring Latin Place Names of Britannia
How did the Romans talk about places in Roman Britain? Today, I'm going to dive into the Latin place names that were used for the new province of Britannia.
Claudius’ Conquest
In AD 43, the Emperor Claudius decided that he needed a military victory under his belt to improve his reputation. He looked around at the empire and thought, “well, quite a lot of this has already been conquered”. His gaze then shifted north to an unimposing, unimportant island in the middle of the ocean - Britannia.
Julius Caesar himself had tried and somewhat failed to conquer Britannia, so Claudius thought by succeeding where Caesar had not, he would earn great respect. So he set off to conquer Britannia!
As his troops moved from the south coast to the northern regions, they established colonies, colonia, many of which have been inhabited since those days.
Camulodunum - Colchester
One of the earliest and most significant Roman settlements was in Colchester, established between AD 43 to 49. The Romans named it Camulodunum.
Note: While variations in spelling do exist, this is the most widely accepted form among scholars.
Colchester was distinguished with the title Colonia Claudia Victricensis, which translates to "the colony of Claudius's victory,". It had been named after Claudius himself. Today, Colchester proudly claims to be the oldest recorded town in Britain, having a proper name and settlement. The city was highly significant during Roman times and regained city status under the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Colchester also boasts Britain's only Roman chariot racing arena, underscoring its importance in antiquity.
However, it did not remain the most important town for very long.
Londinium - London
Around AD 47, Londinium was established - modern-day London. Its strategic location along the broader and more navigable River Thames made Londinium a vital centre for the new province. The river in Camulodunum was quite narrow, so trade and resupply was more difficult.
Unfortunately, just like Camulodunum, Londinium was destroyed by Boudicca around AD 60-61. After their reconstructions, Londinium became the capital of Britannia, the Roman province, a status it still holds as capital of the UK today.
Mona - Anglesey
In the 60s AD, the Romans attempted to conquer Anglesey, which they called Mona. This actually was an unsuccessful attempt at colonization due to the fierce resistance from the people of Anglesey. The Romans didn't actually manage to fully pacify this area. Mona was a very important centre of Druid worship as well, representing a culture that the Romans found very unusual and threatening.
Aquae Sulis - Bath
Also in the 60s, the Romans established a settlement at Bath, which they named Aquae Sulis. This means “the waters of Sulis”. Sulis was a local goddess of the Britons, who the Romans assimilated into their own pantheon. They equated her with the goddess Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom.
Bath was renown for the natural hot water springs, and served as a holiday resort for Roman soldiers and colonists. The remains of these luxurious bathhouses can still be visited today.
Eboracum - York
As the Romans moved north, in the AD 70s, they set up Eboracum, modern-day York. The name means “Yew Tree Place”, indicating there were lots of yew trees on the site. Eboracum became the largest Roman city in northern Britannia (Britannia Inferior). It had a significant military fort and a civilian settlement known as a vicus.
The city was crucial for trade and military expeditions northwards to fight the Celts. And York is very proud of its Roman history, much is celebrated and visible today. Very interesting to go and see if you get the chance.
Mancunium - Manchester
In AD 79, The Romans established Mancunium. The term “Mancunian” today refers to anyone from Manchester. Manchester’s reconstructed Roman gate, built based on the archaeological foundations and descriptions of gates from different fortresses, offers a glimpse into the past as a fortified garrison surrounded by walls.
And again, it had a vicus, like Eboracum - a town outside of the fortress, where civilians who served the army base lived.
Pons Aelius - Newcastle
Continuing their northern expansion, the Romans founded Pons Aelius, modern-day Newcastle, in AD 122. Pons Aelius means "the bridge of Hadrian," named after Emperor Hadrian, who visited Britannia to inspect its northern boundary.
Hadrian’s Wall, initially ending in Newcastle, was later extended to what is now Wall's End. The “bridge” from the city’s name refers to the river crossing that troops used to access the wall from the south, such as Eboracum. Although Pons Aelius was relatively minor compared to other Roman settlements, it was strategically important for defending Roman territory. Unfortunately, our knowledge about Roman Newcastle remains limited.
Chronological colonia
I hope you’ve enjoyed this run down of some Latin place names from Roman Britain, highlighting the Roman’s enduring influence on these locales. Have I missed any really significant ones? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time on bambasbat!