The army: in detail

Home / Army / The army: in detail

Links | Wordlist | Sitemap | Help

The army: in detail

Line drawing of a cut away cross section of the wall showing the stone and brick courses that made up the wall, the concrete footing and timber stakes driven into the ground below

Enlarge image

Diagram showing the structure of the new city wall built along the river

The army in Londinium was unique in Britain in that it wasn't a single legion. Instead it was made up of men chosen from the three legions at Chester, Caerleon and York. They would have worked for the Governor, acted as backup troops, stored munitions and done training here.

Photograph of a wide flat dagger with a ‘waist' just below the hilt. The handle and sheath have rotted away, but the structure of the sheath survives.

Enlarge image

Dagger and remains of sheath

Was there much fighting around Londinium?

After the Boudican rebellion in AD60 there was relative peace in south east England, and there is little evidence of Londinium needing to be defended for another 200 years.

Photograph of a pair of wooden writing tablets, three styli to inscribe in wax, an ink pot and other equipment.

Enlarge image

Roman writing equipment

What is the evidence for defence?

The Romans built a wall round Londinium in the early third century. It was probably originally built to express civic pride. By the late 3rd century the level of the Thames had dropped and the wall was extended along the river frontage too. A century later towers were added to the eastern side of the city wall and it seems more likely that the wall was used for defence. By this time Londinium was under threat from Germanic invaders who were attacking the south east. In AD410 the Emperor Honorius refused to let the Roman army defend Britain any longer and Roman rule came to an end.

	Discovering the army

	Evidence of the army

	Archaeology in action

	The army: soldiers - and road builders!