THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OK BRITAIN 



have served in Britain, for when Rome conquered a nation 

 she drew reinforcements from the conquered for fresh con- 

 quests. As this system prevailed in all the Roman 

 provinces, Britons often served in foreign lands under 

 Roman rule. There was a strongly fortified bridge over 

 the river Tyne, traces of the abutments and piers of which 

 can still be seen. A fragment of the earth-works, which 

 ran parallel to the great wall at a distance of from one 

 hundred yards to half a mile, is still visible, and also part 

 of the wall which has perished more from the hands of 

 man than from nature, as the stones of which it is con- 

 structed are being gradually carried away by the farmers 

 in that district for building purposes. We have to use our 

 historical imagination somewhat in constructing a Roman 

 camp. The forum stood in the centre of the city forming 

 nearly a perfect square, and the basilica, or court-house, 

 with the curia or council-chamber on the west side, and on 

 each side of these were halls or rooms for conducting busi- 

 ness. An outer walk ran around the whole space occupied 

 by the forum and basilica. Within this were a succession 

 of offices connected with the forum, and in front of these 

 an inner walk. City life centred around the forum, 

 basilica, public baths and temples. Every city in the 

 Roman Empire was constructed upon the same plan, viz., 

 with the public buildings in the centre. Some of the 

 Roman towns were I^ondon, Silchester, Chichester, 

 Chester, Colchester, lyincoln and Bath, which are in them- 

 selves a further proof of Roman manners and influence 

 long surviving because they have retained the Latinised 

 names of still earlier forms. The excavations at Bath have 

 led to the knowledge of the construction and arrangement 

 of Roman baths for health and luxury. It is doubtful if 

 Bath was ever a place of military importance, but rather a 

 health resort, and as such it has continued from the second 

 century to the present day. In many cases the walls 

 surrounding the towns were added at a later date for 



