Defying Rome

The power of the Roman Empire was under constant challenge. Nowhere was this truer than in Britain, Rome's remotest and most recalcitrant province. A succession of idealists, chancers and reactionaries fomented dissent and rebellion. Some, like Caratacus and Boudica, were tribal chiefs wanting to expel Rome and recover lost power. Others were military opportunists such as Carausius and Allectus, who wanted to become emperor and were prepared to exploit everything Britain had to offer to support their bids for power. Each of these rebellions reads like a story in itself, combining archaeology with the dramatic testimony of the historical and epigraphic sources, and explains why Britain was such a hot-bed of dissent.