Blackwell Reference Online

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The larger urban settlements of Roman Britain, those which might be distinguished with the title of ‘cities’, constitute one of the clearest indications of the Roman impact on Britain. Civic life was one of the defining elements of Classical society ( Drinkwater 1987 ). The characteristic elements of the principal urban centres—substantial public buildings, strong fortifications and a grid pattern of streets—were imported forms introduced from the Empire. It was convenient for the Roman authorities to have a single base for the administration of each tribe, a system already established in much of Gaul ( Woolf 1998 ). The subject of urbanism in Roman Britain is still a matter of much debate, and conceptual approaches have been undergoing upheaval in recent years. In particular, the extent of the contribution made by the native aristocracy to the development of the tribal ( civitas ) capitals is now seen as more fundamental to the process of urbanization than any part played by the army, except perhaps in the first phases of the military coloniae ( Millett 1990 ). Although it is unlikely that there was much coercion on the part of the Roman authorities, the much-quoted section from Tacitus’ Agricola (21), that the Britons ‘were encouraged to build temples, fora and houses’, suggests that they were being persuaded of the political value of adopting Roman civic forms. The Roman ... log in or subscribe to read full text