Roman York - a brief introduction to York's Roman History

 1st Century

The Romans first came to Britain under the command of Julius Caesar who ‘came saw and conquered’ (veni, vidi, vici) in 55BC, though “came, saw and did a bit of shopping before going back home,” would have been a bit more of an appropriate quote, as they didn’t stay for too long. We are not sure if was it the weather or the inhospitable Celts who caused this short-lived ‘conquering’ of our great nation.

Britain’s Roman history began properly in the 1st Century when they did of course return under the new leadership of the Emperor Claudius (AD41 – 54) in AD43. This time they did more than collect a few pebbles from the beach and invaded us properly.

Within four years the Roman army occupied all of ‘Britannia Inferior’ or ‘Lower Britain’, from below the River Humber at Brough and apart from the odd skirmish, (like the one with Queen Boudica around AD60) everything remained pretty alright.

The area above the Humber was known as the Brigantes and the Romans were quite happy for it’s ruler Queen Cartimandua to keep order, but unfortunately her husband Venutius also wanted power. In AD69 he managed to achieve this and Cartimandua was forced into exile and the Romans were forced to intervene because of the civil unrest that occurred.

For the Emperors of Rome it had also been a testing time. After Claudius, Nero (AD54 – 68) took control until like most of the great city’s rulers he was assassinated. The next year saw four claims to the title before in AD69 Vespasian (AD69 – 79) was proclaimed Imperator!

It was Vespasian that appointed the new governor for Britain, Petillius Cerialis, who in AD71 moved the Ninth Legion (Legionem IX Hispanam) from their fortress at Lindum (Lincoln) into Brigantium territory and the area know by the locals as ‘Eburacon’, a celtic word that meant ‘place where the yew tree grows’. The Romans on settling in the area then latinised, as they normally did, to ‘Eboracum’.

The place of Eboracum was an obvious choice for a base, not only for it’s never ending supply of timber, but also for it’s easily defensible position on relatively high but flat sandstone ridge between the two rivers that still form York’s heart today.

The first defences of the fort were built in a hurry using ready-made materials in the form of an earth mound, ditch with wooden surround. This stood until around AD80, when a more permanent structure was built.

After three years of fighting the Romans gained control of the Brigantes and Eboracum became a major fortress along with Chester and Caerleon in Gwent.

The first century of Roman rule in Britain ended with the Emperor Trajan (AD98-117) in control and the Ninth Legion firmly in place within the fortress of Eboracum, but more dramatic changes where to affect both the city and country in the next 20 years.

 2nd Century

It’s thought that the fortress of Eboracum was being re-built in stone around AD107 because in the late 19th Century part of a stone inscription mentioning Emperor Trajan (also describing him as Pontifex Maximus or Chief Priest) and the Ninth Legion was found in King’s Square in York, close to the site for one of the three main gateways into the fort, the others being St Helen’s Square and exactly where Bootham Bar stands now. The most important of these would have been the Portia Praetorian, which was St Helen’s Square, the direct road from the South.

Ten years after re-building began, one of the most famous of Rome’s emperors came to power, Hadrian (AD117 - 138). With him came a complete set of new rules to play by: mixed bathing was banned, much to the great annoyance of many (mostly men)!

In AD120 he came to Britain and because of continuing problems in the north, Hadrian decided to call a halt to the issue and make life for the soldiers easier (and warmer) by building a great wall across the country. The wall from Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast to Wallsend on the east is now a World Heritage Site. Over 73 miles long, the wall took 6 years to build and acted as a border control point. It was the most northern point of the Roman Empire.

It was During Hadrian’s reign that the famous Ninth Legion was sent north to disperse some ‘Barbarian’ hoards. Here is where history and historians clash. There are many different versions of what happened to them after leaving York and you can read the most famous version by clicking here. In this version the whole Legion were all wiped out and never returned, other versions say they were disbanded others still have them moving to the Netherlands, but whatever occurred they were replaced by Hadrian with the ‘conquering’ Sixth Legion around AD120.

The Sixth Legion built much of Hadrian’s Wall and took part in many campaigns beyond (in the area known as Caledonia to the Romans). Eboracum never again went through a Legion change and the Sixth Legion remained here until the Romans finally went home. Although the symbol used by the Sixth Legion was a Bull, and was used by the province of Lower Britain, it did not become the emblem of York, who chose instead to keep the emblem of the founding Ninth Legion, the Boar (and is still used at the Imphal Barracks).

The rest of this century went without much fuss. Emperors Antoninus Pius (AD131 – 161), Marcus Aurelius (AD161 – 180 AD) and Commodus (AD180 – 192) never visited Britain, but the founder of the Severan Dynasty would come early in the next century.

 3rd Century

At the beginning of the 3rd Century the African Septimus Severus (AD193 – 235), was Emperor and it was under his direction that Eboracum became the stronghold of the north. Lucius Septimius Severus had earlier restored stability to the Roman empire after the tumultuous reign of the Emperor Commodus and the civil wars that erupted in the wake of Commodus’ murder.

He saw to it that the whole of the fortress’s defences were rebuilt, stronger than before. Some of these ‘changes’ can still be seen close to Monk Bar at what was the fortresses East corner and is known as Aldwark Tower.

Although there was magnesium limestone readily available for the purpose of construction at nearby Tadcaster (which was used for the construction of virtually everything during the Medieval period), the Romans decided to use a much harder stone from further away, found at Leeds and Halifax. Originally called Elland Stone, it is still used today, but now takes the name York Stone.

Eboracum by this time clearly had all the amenities to accommodate an Emperor, because from AD208, Severus governed the Roman Empire from here until his death from pneumonia at the age of 64 in AD2II.

During his time a civilian city grew up on the opposite bank of the River Ouse to the southwest of the fort. Around AD2I3 Eboracum was given the highest status possible that could be bestowed on it, that of a Colonia and became the Capital of Britannia Inferior.

By AD237 Eboracum had also set-up a direct shipping route to southern Gaul, which is the Bordeaux region of France. The area in which the Romans built their docks was to the Southeast of the fortress where they used not the larger River Ouse, but constructed unloading wharves that included a crane along the banks of the lesser River Foss.

Although the position of the River Ouse hasn’t changed much since Roman times, it is today nearly 3m deeper and non tidal since the building of Naburn lock in the mid 18th Century. However, the River Foss has changed it’s course significantly. The Foss was substantially altered by the creation of the King’s Fish Pool in the late 11th Century and by canalisation in more recent times. In Roman times the banks of the Foss were much more steep than they are today.

The 3rd Century ended as it began, with the fort again being re-built and the addition of a new Bathhouse built within the fortress for the soldiers. The Eboracum Legion Bathhouse was finished in time for use by one of Rome’s most famous emperors.

 4th Century

Eboracum was now a thriving fortress, city and place for trade and industry, so a visit by the emperor was not a great surprise.

In AD306 Emperor Constantius Chlorus came to visit with his son Constantine. Unfortunately for the emperor he died on 25 July that year. Immediately the soldiers proclaimed his son, Constantine, emperor in his place. This was a very rare thing to happen, as normally Rome was the only city where somewhere could be made emperor.

Constantine the Great went on to become one of the most important of Rome’s emperor’s. In AD3I3 he decreed the Edict of Milan that gave authority to people’s choice of religion and said that if anyone wished to be a Christian they could. Amongst other things he further went on to instigate the celebration of the birth of Christ that we call Christmas.

It was a year after the Edict in AD314 that Eboracum had it’s first Bishop and who, along with the Bishop’s of Lundinium (London) and Lindum (Lincoln), attended the Christian council at Arles.

It is thought that it was in the 4th century that substantial stone walls were added to the Colonia, as were the public baths and many stone buildings including temples and houses.

Whilst Eboracum was prospering, northern Britain was beginning to weaken. Continuing attacks to Hadrian’s Wall inAD367 led to major repairs two years later. Even Rome came under pressure, which is probably when many troops were withdrawn from Britain to help stave off attacks from the Goths and Picts in the East.

In AD400 the Germanics were beginning to enter York and certainly by AD4I0 the Roman Emperor Honorius (AD395 - 423) had withdrawn all of his soldiers and Hadrian’s Wall was finally abandoned. Roman rule in Britain ended…