What Do Roman Towns Tell Us About Life in Roman Britain?

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Towns in Roman Britain were an important part of the Romans strategy to Romanise Britons. Roman towns give insight into many aspects of life such as trade, religion and politics. They show us how many lived, however, they don’t tell us about everyone in Britain at this time. Towns were seen as a way of Romanisation and as a way of gaining control over those that lived there. Tacitus explains that Agricola assisted the “building of temples, public squares and private mansions.” From this we can infer that Agricola was really keen on uniting people within the towns by building communal places where people could go. It also shows that Agricola realised he needed to communicate and gain popularity from the people living in the towns, in order for them to accept his ideas. Later on in this source (Agricola, 21), Tacitus tells us that “gradually” Agricola brought in more and more facilities that the Britons would want (“arcades” and “baths”) which again, gained him more popularity. Some of the most famous of these “baths” can still be found in Bath, England today. As you can see from this source, Agricola made the roman baths a very luxurious place to visit, he almost spoiled the people, gaining their support. Within the towns were many key buildings which insinuate what people did during their daily lives. In the centre of every town was the Forum which was a large square area where markets and meetings were held. At one end of the forum was the basilica where the Gods where worshipped. The temples where so close to the forum and almost right in the centre of the town which I think enforces the fact that religion was so important during roman Britain. The streets were arranged in the form of a grid and streets were built at right angles to each other. I think that the organisation of the roads is almost metaphorical for the Romans desire for
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