BBC History Magazine

Roman Britain

1 Roman Britain was more than just one province

fter the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43, Britain was named a province and given its first governor, Aulus Plautius. However, Septimius Severus, or possibly his son Caracalla, split the province of Britannia into two by AD 213: Britannia Superior and Britannia Inferior. Later, under Diocletian (reigned 284–305) or Constantine (reigned 306–337), Britannia was made a diocese consisting of four provinces: Maxima Caesariensis (south-east England); Flavia Caesariensis (eastern England and the Midlands); Britannia Prima (Wales and south-west England); and Britannia Secunda (northern England). Each time a new province was

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from BBC History Magazine

BBC History Magazine3 min read
Michael Wood On…
EVERY NOW AND AGAIN IN HISTORY, CERTAIN things need restating. It's an obvious point, but like journalists, historians build their picture of the past using sources. They distinguish between primary and second‑ ary sources, sources you can trust, oth
BBC History Magazine2 min read
An Aztec History Of The Aztecs
The Aztec Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Stories and Legends by Camilla Townsend Thames & Hudson, 208 pages, £14.99 The history of the Aztecs (or, as they would have called themselves, the Mexica) is riddled with colonial prejudice and contemporary mi
BBC History Magazine2 min read
King James's UPS And Downs
Cecil was the younger son of Elizabeth I's leading minister, William, Lord Burghley, and became his father's political heir in the 1590s. In 1601, he began to correspond secretly with James VI of Scotland and pledged to manage his accession to the En

Related