THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN 



really a plot on the part of the emperor to annex the whole 

 of Britain, which shows Boadicea and Caractacus both to 

 us as types of heroic though savage patriots. Boadicea 

 was the mother of that race which was yet to be in Britain. 

 Paulinus quickly reduced the island to order, but for some 

 years after these events no advances of importance were 

 made. The year 77 finally brought the people of south 

 Wales to order. In A.D. 78 Julius Agricola vx^as appointed 

 to the command of the province. His tenure of service 

 lasted eight years, and was marked by a rapid civilization 

 in south and central Britain. Agricola successfully 

 attempted to complete the conquest of the island of Mona, 

 which had been begun by Paulinus. He then pushed 

 boldly forward against the Caledonians in the far north, 

 eventually defeating them in a great battle among the 

 Grampian Hills. While advancing, he was careful to 

 secure the country through which he passed, and with him 

 the work of the conquest may be said to be very complete, 

 though the country was hardly vSettled, but the work of 

 consolidation now began and continued for several years. 



In A.D. 120, the Emperor Hadrian, in the course of 

 his journeyings through the provinces of the Roman 

 Empire, reached Britain and and advised the building of 

 the wall between the Solway and the Tyne. In speaking 

 of this wall of Hadrian's ; it was not a mere frontier 

 barrier against the country to the north of it, but it was 

 only part of a large system of fortifications to the south of 

 it. Parallel to its entire length ran a trench, while between, 

 was the wall with mile-castles built at intervals of about 

 one Roman mile, and buildings for the troops. The first 

 object in constructing Roman roads throughout Britain 

 was the marching of troops and the conveyance of stores, 

 as well as for the private citizens who could afford it. 

 There were four principle lines of roads : Watling Street, 

 which runs from lyondon to Wroxeter ; the Fosse Way, 

 connecting the sea-coast in Devonshire with Eincoln ; the 



