Page 75 - All About History - Issue 28-15

Caesar’s invasion of Britain

The Pantheon, which was
built more than 2,000 years
ago and once housed a statue Caesar’s legacy
of Caesar commemorating
himasagod,stillstandsin More than 2,000 years since
he schemed his way up Rome’s
political ranks, the name Julius
Caesar still echoes in history
After Caesar returned to Gaul he waged
war there for two more years, then
returned to Rome, and conquered that
too, after a bloody four-year civil war.
Before he could crown himself emperor,
however, he was assassinated by a gang
of senators eager to free Rome from his
tyrannical grip.
To the people of Rome, though,
Caesar was no tyrant. They chased
his murderers from the city sparking a
further civil war. It ended with Caesar’s
son Octavian being crowned emperor,
ending Rome’s status as a republic and
ushering in an imperial dynasty that
would last for 400 years.
In life, Caesar may never have got to
This bust of Caesar is the only be the Romans’ emperor, but in death
surviving image made during they commemorated him as a deity,
his lifetime. It’s the closest building a statue of him in the Pantheon –
we’ll come to staring him Rome’s hall of the gods. History, though,
The Aftermath directly in the face remembers the man quite simply as one
of the greatest who ever lived.

Caesar gained next to nothing from his invasions, but the His legacy, though, was to last forever. In
his wake he left behind a series of client kings
system he left behind was to pave the way for Rome’s return throughout southern and eastern England. These
‘kings on strings’, including Cassivellaunus and
hile Caesar was still tangling with the air, Caesar began to make plans to return to the Mandubracius, and the lands that they ruled over,
British resistance leader Cassivellaunus, continent before the weather turned against him. from Norfolk, Essex and Kent to Sussex, Hampshire
word reached him that there was trouble The peace terms he made with Cassivellaunus and Berkshire, were all supposedly ‘allied’ to Rome.
back across the Channel in Gaul. With were hastily drawn up and remarkably generous. The likely reality is that the annual tribute
Wtheir great conqueror out of the country, One of the first British tribal leaders to join Caesar promised by these British tribes was never paid,
busy trying to add Britannia to Rome’s wish list, had been Mandubracius. His father had been and neither could they be described as part of
the Gauls had seized the opportunity to rise up and king of the Trinovante tribe that Cassivellaunus the Roman Empire, despite the claims of Roman
rebel against their Roman overlords. had defeated, grabbing the Trinovante’s land in propagandists. Back in Rome, people soon realised
Caesar couldn’t afford to keep his back turned the process. Mandubracius was now installed as that Britain was not going to yield the profits they
much longer. He may have defeated Britannia’s leader of the Trinovantes, his lands were returned had hoped for; there was no silver, nor any hope of
southern tribes, but that was no guarantee that and Cassivellaunus was given the equivalent booty except for slaves. Yet the expeditions brought
those further west or to the north would accept of a Classical-era restraining order. Caesar also Caesar huge and highly favourable public attention, © Alamy; Corbis; Getty Images; Joe Cummings; Sol 90 Images
Rome as their new ruler. Getting bogged down demanded that the defeated Britons hand over with citizens across the land telling tales of chariots
in what would inevitably have become a costly hostages to be taken as slaves, and for a fixed and barbarians who painted their bodies blue with
guerrilla war was not something Caesar could tribute from the southern tribes to be paid to Rome woad. As far as they were concerned, the landing
even consider. It was by now early September, and annually. And that was it. Caesar jumped back on was a triumph, even though the actual results were
with the unmistakable smell of autumn in the his boat and was never seen in Britain again. barely noticeable.
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