History Of North Wales - Roman Occupation
The Roman invasion of the island of Britain was ordered in AD43 by Emperor Claudis. In May of that year an army of around 20,000, led by Aulus Plautius, landed on the Kent coast. At this time the people of what is today known as Britain were divided into many waring tribes and the Roman's superior military might and civilian organisations slowly overcame local resistance. By AD47 the Romans had reached the borders of Briton (today's Cornwall and Wales). In AD51 the Romans defeated the Britons of the Severn Valley and were ready to march into what we now think of as Wales.
Resistance in the north was led by the Druids and, in AD61, Suetonius Paulinus started an attack on the Druid heartland of Ynys Mon. The Roman soldiers were said to have been terrified by the sight of the heavily armed warriors, many of them women, carrying torches and screaming like demons. The warriors were surrounded by the white robed Druids, their sacrificial knives held above their heads, as they chanted incantations to their Gods. The Roman leaders managed to regroup their men and organise counter attacks but the Boudican revolt in East Anglia drew the Romans away - for now. They returned in AD75 to finally conquer North Wales. Led by Agricola they invaded Ynys Mon, killed the Druids and burnt the oak forests that were so important to the Druid's religion.
Mountainous North Wales was not an easy place to inhabit and so it became the Roman's western frontier - two of the three Legions in Britain were stationed on the Welsh border. A large fort was built at Deva (Chester) with two smaller forts built in North Wales itself, one at Segontium (near Caernarfon) and one at Caer Llugwy (near Capel Curig), together a marching camp at Pen-y-Gwryd. The Romans also opened a copper mine on Parys Mountain (near Holyhead).
Much of normal Celtic life and traditions survived the occupation. While Latin was used for administration, Welsh was still used in everyday life. Though the Druids had disappeared, many local Pagan Gods survived along side the Roman's own Gods - there was a temple to the Roman God Mithraic at Segontium. In AD337 the Romans accepted Christianity and tried to enforce it throughout their empire. In spite of this, the old Celtic religions endured in the mountains.
During the 4th century the Romans were forced to defend Wales from attacks by the Celts of Ireland and new bases were built for the Roman fleet, one of which was at Holyhead. As the Irish kept attacking the Roman defences weakened and the Irish settled for a time on both the Lleyn and Ynys Mon. They were eventually driven out by the Scottish chief Cunedda, an ally of the Romans. Cunedda is thought to have been a founder of the Royal House of Gwynedd.
In AD383 the Romans legions departed from Wales and withdrew from England in AD407. Emperor Honorius formally severed links with Britain in AD410.
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