Londinium

Londinium, also known as Roman London, was the capital of Roman Britain during most of the time when Rome ruled the land. Most historians think it started shortly after the Claudian invasion of Britain around 47–50 AD, but some believe it began even earlier in 43 AD. It was built where the modern City of London stands today, near a key ford over the River Thames. This made it an important place for travel and trade.

In the year 60 or 61 AD, a rebellion led by the queen Boudica of the Iceni caused the Romans to leave Londinium, and the city was destroyed. After Boudica was defeated, the Romans rebuilt the city, and it grew quickly. By the 2nd century, Londinium had become the largest city in Britain, with big public buildings like a forum and an amphitheatre. When Emperor Hadrian visited in 122 AD, the city's forum basilica was one of the largest buildings north of the Alps.

Although Londinium stayed important, it did not grow much bigger after the 2nd century. A defensive wall was built around the city between 190 and 225 AD. The London Wall lasted for over 1,600 years and helped shape the edges of the old City of London.

Name

The meaning of the name Londinium is not known for certain. One old story says it was named after a person called Lud, but there is no proof that he ever existed. Instead, the name was probably based on an old British name that might have sounded like Londinion. Over time, this evolved into the name we know today as London. In English, we say the name as "lun-DIN-ee-əm".

Location

Londinium was built on the north side of the Thames. It was an important place where roads met and was centered around Cornhill and the River Walbrook. The city stretched west to Ludgate Hill and east to Tower Hill. Before the Romans arrived, the area was fought over by the Catuvellauni to the west and the Trinovantes to the east. It was also near the land of the Cantiaci south of the Thames.

The Roman city grew to cover the area of the City of London, with walls that still shape its borders today. The city’s edge along the Thames stretched about 1.5 kilometers from west to east. There were cemeteries and smaller areas outside the main city walls. A round temple was found west of the city, but we don’t know what it was for. Suburbs grew up at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Westminster and near the southern end of the Thames bridge in Southwark. Excavations there found a fancy building with beautiful floor tiles and painted walls from 72 AD. Writings suggest there may have been a temple of Isis in that area.

Status

Londinium started as a small village and quickly became a key port for trading between Roman Britain and places on the European continent. The writer Tacitus mentioned that even without an official title, Londinium was busy with merchants and ships, especially during the time of a big uprising led by a leader named Boudica.

Over time, Londinium grew in importance. It may have been given special status as a city early on, or this might have been a way to recognize its role as a big settlement. By around the year 120, it likely became an official colony, a sign of its growing importance. During this time, Londinium probably became the main city for running Britain’s affairs, moving that role from Camulodunum (now Colchester in Essex). Although we don’t know the exact date, several clues suggest Londinium was the capital. For example, special tiles marked for officials, remains of a governor’s home, and defensive buildings show its importance. By around 300, after changes in how the Roman Empire was organized, Londinium was known as Augusta, a name often used for important cities.

History

Founding

Londinium, known as Roman London, was not built where earlier British tribes lived. Before the Romans arrived, the land was open fields with small streams. Some think Londinium started as a small Roman military camp, but there isn’t much proof.

The Romans built Londinium around where the River Thames could be crossed easily. They created a bridge there so ships could reach the city. Evidence of a big bridge pier was found near today’s London Bridge. The city grew quickly, covering about 350 acres, roughly the size of today’s Hyde Park.

Roads

Many important roads led to and from Londinium. Seven major roads went to places like Canterbury, Colchester, and York. These roads helped connect Londinium to the rest of the Roman world. Some roads had layers of oak logs to keep them strong in marshy areas.

The city’s streets were laid out in a grid pattern after 60 AD. Main streets were wide, while smaller streets were narrower.

Boudica

Around 60 or 61 AD, about ten years after Londinium was founded, a leader named Boudica led a revolt against Roman rule. Her husband had died, and the Romans treated her family harshly. Boudica and her allies attacked and destroyed the city of Camulodunum. The Romans sent soldiers to defend Londinium, but they were overwhelmed. Many people in Londinium were killed.

1st century

After the attack, the Romans built a fort to protect Londinium. The city was rebuilt with new roads, buildings, and a marketplace. By the end of the century, Londinium had grown to perhaps 60,000 people and became an important center.

Port

Londinium had a big port near London Bridge. After Boudica’s attack, the Romans rebuilt the port with strong wharfs. The port imported goods like fine pottery, jewelry, and wine. It was a busy trading place.

2nd century

Emperor Hadrian visited Londinium in 122 AD. Public buildings were built or rebuilt, possibly for his visit. Londinium became even more important, with many stone houses and public buildings. The city had good water and drainage systems. A large forum and bathhouses were built, and a fort protected the city.

London Wall

Between 190 and 225 AD, the Romans built a wall around Londinium to protect it. The wall was about 5 kilometers long and 6 meters high. It had four main gates and smaller doors for people to use. The wall helped define the city’s borders for many years.

3rd century

In the early 200s, Emperor Septimius Severus split Britain into two parts. Londinium’s economy improved a bit. A temple dedicated to the god Mithras was built near the River Walbrook.

Raiding by sea pirates led to the building of a wall along the river. A temple to the goddess Isis was also rebuilt during this time.

Carausian Revolt

In 286 AD, a leader named Carausius declared an independent British empire. After being attacked, his treasurer took over. In 296, Roman forces invaded and took back control of Londinium.

4th century

Londinium was an important city during this time. A large building was discovered that looked like a church. The city’s defenses were strengthened with new towers on the walls.

5th century

With fewer Roman soldiers in Britain, Londinium declined. Many public buildings fell apart, and trade stopped. By the end of the 5th century, the city was mostly empty and in ruins. New groups like the Angles and Saxons settled in the area, but Londinium was not reused until later.

Demographics

The population of Londinium is thought to have been largest around 100 AD, with estimates between about 30,000 and 60,000 people. After around 150 AD, the number of people may have dropped by two thirds, perhaps because other areas grew more important for trade.

Londinium was a diverse city with people from many places, including continental Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Studies of old remains suggest that many people in Londinium were born locally, but some came from far away. The average height for men was about 5 feet 6 and three-quarter inches (170 cm), and for women about 5 feet 2 and one-quarter inches (158 cm).

Excavation

See also: Museum of London, Museum of London Archaeology, and Amphitheatre (London)

Many old remains are still hidden under London, and learning about them can be tricky. Because of how London’s ground is made up, with layers of soil and rock, it’s hard to spot old Roman roads unless they were repaired many times or spread across many places. Small pieces of wood from old buildings are easy to miss, and stone buildings might only leave behind bits of their bases. Sometimes these stones were taken away in later years to build other things.

People started looking closely at old London in the 1600s after a big fire. When they rebuilt, they didn’t find proof that a famous old church was built on a place where Romans once honored a goddess. In the 1800s, more building work helped uncover old parts of London, like a Roman house found in 1848.

In the 1860s, digging near a river found many old skulls, which might be from a time long ago when a battle happened. More discoveries came in the 1940s and 1950s, like a special temple that had to be moved to make way for new buildings but is now back in its old spot.

Since the 1970s, people have been carefully digging along the old edges of London’s waterfront. Lots of building work in the 1980s and 1990s gave chances to find more hidden pieces of the past.

Displays

Important discoveries from Roman London, such as mosaics, wall pieces, and old buildings, used to be kept in the London and Guildhall Museums. After 1965, these museums combined to become the Museum of London, which was located near the Barbican Centre from 1976 until 2022. The Museum of London Docklands, a separate museum about London's ports, opened on the Isle of Dogs in 2003. More discoveries from Roman London are kept in the British Museum.

Some walls from the Roman times can still be seen today. Near Tower Hill tube station, in a hotel courtyard at 8–10 Coopers Row, and in St Alphege Gardens off Wood Street, you can see parts of these old walls. Inside the Tower of London, a part of the river wall from Roman times is also visible. Some parts of an old amphitheatre can be seen under the Guildhall Art Gallery. The southwestern tower of a Roman fort can still be seen on Noble Street. Sometimes, Roman ruins are built into new buildings for future study, but they are usually not open to the public.