Why Julius Caesar’s Invasion of Celtic England Failed - Roman Invasion of Britain Explained
Channel: Celtic History Decoded
Date: 2021-11-07

Why Julius Caesar’s Invasion of Celtic England Failed - Roman Invasion of Britain Explained 

Please Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/CelticHistory 

Subscribe to Celtic History Decoded: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCS3M_uNHH2iOJkpGhkO2SA?sub_confirmation=1 

Please Support this Channel on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/historydecoded 

The infamous Roman General and later dictator of Rome,  Julius Caesar, is one of histories greatest conquerors. Yet there was one region that Caesar never conquered despite two attempts, the mysterious lands of ancient England, inhabited by the Celtic Britons, known for, amongst other things, having vast deposits of tin.  
 
Caesar invaded Briton twice, firstly in 55 BC and then a year later in 54 BC, in part to increase his popularity back in Rome. These invasions came during his conquest of Gaul, which is modern-day France, Belgium and other territories, which Caesar managed to conquer between 58 and 50 BC. In Caesar’s own account, found in his Gallic Commentaries which were written on campaign in Gaul, Caesar wrote that “in nearly all the Gallic campaigns the Gauls had received reinforcements from the Britons.”
 
Prior to the first invasion, Caesar tried to accrue as much information as possible about the mysterious Britons at the edge of the world, interviewing merchants who had traded with these Celts of ancient England. Unable to get enough information, Caesar sent a warship on a reconnaissance mission under the command of the Roman officer, Volusenus. Wary of the Barbarians Britons however, Volusenus did not land in Briton, and merely observed from the sea what could be gleaned, returning 5 days later to report to Caesar in Gaul. Caesar also sent a loyal Gaulish chieftain, called Commuis, who was king of the Belgic tribe of the Atrebates,  ahead of his army to gain support for the Romans amongst the tribes of Briton. The chieftain was arrested on arrival in Briton however, and was later exchanged as part of negotiations.  
 
In the first invasion in 55 BC, Caesar only took two legions with him, although cavalry vessels were intended to meet them in Briton. Caesar’s first view of Britain was the white cliffs of Dover, when his ship arrived in British water at 9 o’clock in the morning. It was a hostile reception however, as Celtic warriors and chariots lined the top of the cliff. After being unable to find a spot to land, Caesar sailed north-east, and landed in another part of modern Kent, thought to be a beach in the coastal town of Deal.  

The Romans had a problem however, as there ships could not travel in shallow water. This meant that Roman soldiers had to disembark their ships in deep water, and fight the Britons who were trying to stop them taking the beach from a terrible position. In Caesar’s own words, his men were not were skilled at this, and the Britons were comfortable throwing javelins and galloping their horses on the beach as they stopped the Romans progressing. 
 
The Romans only managed to push forward after Caesar ordered a ship to flank the Britons and launch bows, slings and artillery at them. After more fighting, the Romans managed to take the beach and make camp. With food scarce, the Romans raided neighbouring lands for supplies, but were often ambushed by the Britons. 

After several days, Caesar managed to lour the Britons into fighting a pitched battle. The more organised Roman army inflicted heavy causalities, but could not fully solidify their position. This was partly because the ships carrying the cavalry forces had never reached Briton, as they were forced to turn back to Gaul due to bad storms. Weather destroying Roman ships was a common theme of Caesar’s invasions of Britain. 

At this juncture it is important to note that much of what we know of this first invasion was written by Caesar himself in a work of propaganda, designed to make him look good back in Rome. Some Welsh sources for instance suggest that Caesar and his army suffered some devastating and embarrassing defeats at the hands of the Britons, and were forced to flee back to Gaul. 

Regardless of the precise details, Caesar soon left Briton. After some brief negotiations and an agreement for some hostages to given to the Romans, Caesar put his men on their ships and sailed for Gaul. The first invasion was over and very little accomplished at all. 
 
The second invasion was a much larger ordeal, with Caesar taking over 600 ships, 5 legions and 2,000 cavalry. 
Sources:

Caesar, The Conquest of Gaul 

Historic Uk,  Julius Caesar’s Invasions of Celtic Britain https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofWales/Julius-Caesar-Invasions-of-Celtic-Britain/ 

Julius Caesar's invasions of Britain, Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_Caesar's_invasions_of_Britain 
 
History Time, Julius Caesar’s First Landing in Britain https://www.historytoday.com/archive/julius-caesar%E2%80%99s-first-landing-britain

#JuliusCaesar #CelticHistory #RomanBritain