The Roman Invasion of Britain
They decimated cities while building new ones in their destructive path. They killed thousands while bringing civilization to the remaining population. Rome's British invasion and nearly 400-hundred-year rule was a paradoxical campaign of annihilation and growth. This three-part exploration of the Roman Empire's occupation of Britain examines why they attacked, where they conquered, how they industrialized and exploited the land and what made them vulnerable to the revolt that signaled the ultimate fall of Rome.
- 2009-2015
- 1 season
- Documentary
They decimated cities while building new ones in their destructive path. They killed thousands while bringing civilization to the remaining population. Rome's British invasion and nearly 400-hundred-year rule was a paradoxical campaign of annihilation and growth. This three-part exploration of the Roman Empire's occupation of Britain examines why they attacked, where they conquered, how they industrialized and exploited the land and what made them vulnerable to the revolt that signaled the ultimate fall of Rome.
Season 1 Episode Guide
3 Episodes 2009 - 2015
Episode 1
Onslaught
Thu, Aug 20, 2026
The Romans came to Britain and conquered it, ruling the island for centuries. But why did they come and how did they succeed in the face of the inhabitants' ferocious resistance? Using state-of-the-art graphic imagery and expert reconstructions of the Roman army in action, Bettany Hughes goes back in time to see how they inspired shock and awe. Hughes analyses the motives and actions of Roman emperors and generals, and of their opponents like Caratacus, a warrior from South-East England who became a hero to the Britons.
Episode 2
Revolt
45 mins
With British Queen Boudicca in the South East and the Druids in the North West, doubts arose about the Roman's ability to rule Britain. Bettany Hughes visits places like the city of Bath and the village of Caerwent in Monmouthshire where evidence remains of how Britons were eventually 'Romanized' into a love of the civilized Roman way of life.
Episode 3
Dominion
After Roman control had been established, thanks to military bases such as the magnificent fort at Caerleon, the province of Britannia was relatively calm for a couple of centuries under 'Pax Romana', the Roman peace. However, whereas those at the top end of society prospered, the lives of those at the bottom of the pile could be tough and brutal. Bettany Hughes sees for herself the evidence of slave labor in the gold-mines of Dolaucothi. Bettany also traces how the Roman grip on Britain weakened as the empire's strength began to collapse.