Roman Britain

by John Wacher

WACHER, J,: ROMAN BRITAIN, , 1978, 286 p, figuras,Encuadernacion original, Nuevo,

Genres: History, Archaeology

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Monty Milne]

This is a good introduction to the subject, although now somewhat dated. Nevertheless it is well written and I was very pleased to pick it up on a second hand bookstall for just a few pence. I find it particularly interesting to think about the slow, gradual erasure of Roman Britain. Obviously, it didn’t immediately disappear when the legions were withdrawn, and for a long time afterwards there must have been a kind of post imperial afterglow. The author notes that St Patrick gives details of Roman villas still occupied by their owners as late as 430, but Gildas, writing a century later, knew nothing of them. I now reside close by a 12th century church reputedly founded by a hermit in 480. I found myself wondering, as I walked around the churchyard and visited the holy well associated with this hermit, what kind of culture he experienced here, and whether there were any relics of Romano British culture still left by then.

It is very agreeable to tread the same paths the hermit trod here almost 1500 years ago, and muse about the themes discussed in this book. I also recall that I bought this book with a coin bearing the image of Britannia – whose image first appeared on British coins in the time of Hadrian. Sometimes, even the distant past seems very close.

[Judyta Szacillo]

I found a copy of the first edition of this book (1978) in my father-in-law's study and claimed it for myself. Though a little dated, it is still an excellent introduction to the Roman period of British history, written in an engaging way and with well-organised content. I particularly enjoyed its focus on the daily life: how cities were run, how farms were farmed, how roads were built, how people prayed and entertained themselves. A great book for anyone curious about those times.

[Chris]

very thorough