Living as Romans

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Living as Romans

• Towns became Romanized
• Central Public Square Forum
• Road System
• Baths
• Sewage System
• Entertainment
• Amphitheater / Circus
• Schools
• Latin taught
• Water sources
• Aqueducts / fountains

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Colchester became first Capital

• Once controlled by Boudica
• Fortifications built to assert authority
• Capital later move to Londinium which had easier
  access via the Thames to trade and supplies

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Agricultural Changes

• Romans established villas large farming
  estates
• Used improved tools
• Drained marshy areas
• Built canal system

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Along with their civilization, the Romans brought
their religion.

• Polytheism and very open to new ideas.
• Recall that Isis was accepted from the Egyptians

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Roman Religious Influence

• Often Roman gods were matched and combined with
  local Celtic deities
• Example at right the goddess Sulis Minerva
• combining the Celtic Sulis goddess of healing
  with the goddess Minerva
• From the Roman city of Aqua Sulis now called
  Bath

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The Ancient Persian God Mithras

• Worship began in first century CE and continued
  through 4th c.
• The faithful referred to Mithras as "the Light of
  the World", symbol of truth, justice, and
  loyalty. He was mediator between heaven and earth
  and was a member of a Holy Trinity.
• According to Persian mythology, Mithras was born
  of a virgin given the title 'Mother of God'.
• The god remained celibate throughout his life,
  and valued self-control, renunciation and
  resistance to sensuality among his worshippers.
• Mithras represented a system of ethics in which
  brotherhood was encouraged in order to unify
  against the forces of evil.

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The Cult of Mithras believed

• ...in a celestial heaven and an infernal hell.
  They believed that the benevolent powers of the
  god would sympathize with their suffering and
  grant them the final justice of immortality and
  eternal salvation in the world to come. They
  looked forward to a final day of judgment in
  which the dead would resurrect, and to a final
  conflict that would destroy the existing order of
  all things to bring about the triumph of light
  over darkness.
• purification through a ritualistic baptism was
  required of the faithful, who also took part in a
  ceremony in which they drank wine and ate bread
  to symbolize the body and blood of the god.
  Sundays were held sacred, and the birth of the
  god was celebrated annually on December the 25th.
  After the earthly mission of this god had been
  accomplished, he took part in a Last Supper with
  his companions before ascending to heaven, to
  forever protect the faithful from above.

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However, it would be a vast oversimplification
to suggest that Mithraism was a Roman incarnation
of early Christianity. Aside from Christ and
Mithras, there were plenty of other deities (such
as Osiris, Balder, and Dionysus) said to have
died and resurrected. Many classical heroic
figures, such as Hercules, Perseus, and Theseus,
were said to have been born through the union of
a virgin mother and divine father. Virtually
every pagan religious practice and festivity that
couldn't be suppressed or driven underground was
eventually incorporated into the rites of
Christianity as it spread across Europe and
throughout the world.
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The End of Roman Rule

• A slow death as the empire itself died
• 3rd cent. Saxons began to raid the coast
• Troops had been pulled back to defend the heart
  of the empire
• Local Britons had been forbidden to carry arms
  and couldnt defend themselves

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The Final Days

• 410 CE, Emperor Honorius recalled the last
  soldiers and administrators and formally released
  Britannia from allegiance to the Empire.
• The Britons must see to their own defenses
• Later appeals brought no reply from Rome

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After 400 years of Roman rule...

• The British Islands were open for invasion once
  again.
• This time from a new group the Germanic tribes

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Next time

• Chapters 6 and 7
• The Coming of the English
• Christianity in the Islands
• The Vikings Invade