THE ROMAN OCCUPATION OF BRITAIN 



siou, and it had been urged that Britam, as an independ- 

 ent island, was too near the province of Gaul for their 

 peace, and commercial considerations, too, proved that 

 Britain was a country worth developing. So the Emperor 

 Claudius sent an expedition to Britain under the command 

 of Aulus Plautius, who crossed the Channel with four 

 legions-the Second, the Ninth, the Fourteenth and the 

 Twentieth. It seems probable that the Roman fleet 

 directed its course to the Kentish cost and landed either at 

 Dover or Richborough. Advancing through Kent they 

 met with some resistance at the crossing of the Medway. 

 Plautius penetrated further, but being overcome m the 

 Essex marshes, where he lost a number of men, he sent 

 for the Emperor Claudius, as he was instructed to do 

 should reverses occur. Claudius set out from Rome with 

 reinforcements and journeyed through Gaul to his assist- 

 ance After a few victories Claudius rerurned to Rome, 

 and leaving others to do the work, took unto himself all 

 the honors. Some advances were made which are attested 

 to by the fact that as early as A.D. 49 mines were worked. 

 The Romans subdued the Isle of Wight, and from 47 to 52 

 A D built a line of forts along the Trent, thus securing the 

 Midlands against north and south Wales. King Cunobelm 

 had died between 42 and 43 and his kingdom was divided 

 between his sons, Caractacus and Togodumnus. These 

 princes were defeated by Plautius, and Togodumnus was 

 killed and Caractacus was captured and sent to Rome. 

 The period from 59 to 61 was marked by an advance m 

 that district known as modern Norfolk. Seutonius 

 • Paulinus was attacking the island of Mona, or Anglesea, 

 when Prasulagus, king of the Iceni, died, leaving his king- 

 dom to be divided between his widow and two daughters 

 and the Roman Caesar, but the Romans immediately 

 began to act as though they had full possession. The 

 Iceni were defeated with heavy loss, and to avoid disgrace 

 Queen Boadicea poisoned herself. The whole affair was 



