Ancient and Medieval Timeline of Britain

Historical Timeline of England

Roman England, 43 - 407 CE

Roman Invasion, 43-60 CE

43 Romans under Aulus Plautius invade Britain at the coast of Kent with 20,000 troops and four legions

• Aulus Plautius governs Britain from 43 to 46CE
• Londinium (London) is founded

47 Roman legions penetrate as far as Cornwall and as far West as Wales

51 British general Caractacus is captured and taken to Rome

61 Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni, leads a rebellion in Britain against the Romans

• Boudicca is defeated and killed by Roman governor Suetonius Paulinus

63 Joseph of Arimeathea arrives at Glastonbury

• First Christian mission to Britian

77 Roman conquest of Britain

• Emperor Vespasian appoints Julius Agricola as imperial governor of Britain until 84

117 Emperor Hadrian visits Britain and thus begins construction of Hadrian's Wall and fortifications

• Wall stretches between Northern England and Scotland extending for 73 miles
• Wall is created to defend Roman territory in England from "barbarians"

123 Completion of Hadrian's Wall

133 Governor of Britain, Julius Severus, is sent to Palestine to end revolt

197 Governor of Britain, Clodius Albinus, claimant to the Imperial throne, is killed by Severus at the Battle of Lyon

208 Severus returns to defend Britain and repair Hadrian's Wall

209The first British martyr, St. Alban, is murdered for his faith

• One of the few persecutions of Christians to take place in England during the governorship of Gaius Junius Faustinus

270 Beginning of the Saxon Shore fort system

• A chain of forts built on the coast in Southern and Eastern Britian

287 Carausius, commander of Roman British fleet rules Britain as emperor until murdered by Allectus, a fellow rebel, in 293

• Commissioned by Emperor Maximianus Herculius to clear the seas of Saxon and Frankish pirates
• Emperor ordered arrest and execution of Carausius for not turning over imperial treasury
• Caurausius fled to Britain with his fleet declaring himself emperor

360 Series of attacks on England by Picts and the Irish (Scots)

• Roman legions required to intervene

369 Roman general Theodosius drives the Picts and Scots out of Roman Britain

383 Britain's Roman garrison proclaims Magnus Maximus as governor of Britain, conquering Gaul, Spain and Italy

388 Britain occupied by Maximus until Theodosius, emperor of the Eastern Roman theatre, defeats him in battle

• Maximus is beheaded in the battle sending several of his troops to Armorica
• Valuable troops needed for protecting Britain are lost

396 Roman general Flavius Stilicho begins transferring authority from under Roman command to local British chieftains

397 Stilicho arrives in Britain to repel attach by Picts, Irish and Saxons

402 Stilicho recalls one British legion to assist in defense of Italy against Alaric and the Visigoths

• The barbarians are defeated at the battle of Pollentia

403 Bishop of Rouen visits Britain to end dispute between clergy

406 Barbarian force of Burgundians, Vandals, and Alans sweep into Gaul severing contact between Rome and Britain

• One remaining Roman legion left in Britain mutinies
• Proclaimed emperor of Britain, Marcus, is assassinated

407 Roman garrison in Britain hails Constantine III as new emperor

• Constantine III withdraws remaining legion from Britain crossing over to Gaul

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