Aulus Plautius Aulus Plautius was a Roman politician and general of the mid - 1st century . He began the Roman conquest of Britain in 43 , and became the first governor of the new province , serving from 43 to 47 . Career . Little is known of Aulus Plautius ' s early career . An inscription reveals he was involved in the suppression of a slave revolt in Apulia , probably in 24 , alongside Marcus Aelius Celer . He was suffect consul for the second half of 29 , and held a provincial governorship , probably of Pannonia , in the early years of Claudius ' s reign : another inscription shows he oversaw the building of a road between Trieste and Rijeka at this time . Claudius appointed him to lead his invasion of Britannia in 43 , in support of Verica , king of the Atrebates and an ally of Rome , who had been deposed by his eastern neighbours the Catuvellauni . The army was composed of four legions , IX " Hispana " , then in Pannonia , II " Augusta " , XIV " Gemina " , and XX " Valeria Victrix " , plus approximately 20 , 000 auxiliary troops , including Thracians and Batavians . In this occasion , II " Augusta " was commanded by the future emperor Vespasian . Three other men of appropriate rank to command legions are known to have been involved in the invasion : Vespasian ' s brother Titus Flavius Sabinus II and Gnaeus Hosidius Geta appear in Dio Cassius ' s account of the invasion ; Gnaeus Sentius Saturninus is mentioned by Eutropius , although as a former consul he may have been too senior , and perhaps accompanied Claudius later . On the beaches of northern Gaul Plautius faced a mutiny by his troops , who were reluctant to cross the Ocean and fight beyond the limits of the known world . They were persuaded after Claudius ' s freedman and secretary Narcissus addressed them : seeing a former slave in place of their commander , they cried " " Io Saturnalia ! " " ( Saturnalia being a Roman festival in which social roles were reversed for the day ) and the mutiny was over . The invasion force sailed in three divisions , and is generally believed to have landed at Richborough in Kent , although parts may have landed elsewhere ( see Site of the Claudian invasion of Britain ) . The Britons , led by Togodumnus and Caratacus of the Catuvellauni , were reluctant to fight a pitched battle , relying on instead on guerrilla tactics . However , Plautius defeated first Caratacus , then Togodumnus , on the rivers Medway and Thames . Togodumnus died shortly afterwards , although Caratacus survived and continued to be a thorn in the invaders ' side . Having reached the Thames , Plautius halted and sent for Claudius , who arrived with elephants and heavy artillery and completed the march on the Catuvellaunian capital , Camulodunum ( Colchester ) . A Roman province was established in the conquered territory , and alliances made with nations outside direct Roman control . Plautius became governor of the new province , until 47 when he was replaced by Publius Ostorius Scapula . On his return to Rome and civil life , Plautius was granted an Ovation , during which the emperor himself walked by his side to and from the Capitol . Relatives . Plautius was a ( probably distant ) relative of Claudius ' s first wife , Plautia Urgulanilla . Quintus Plautius , who was consul in 36 , was probably his younger brother . His sister married Publius Petronius ; their ( adopted ? ) son , Publius Petronius Turpilianus , was later consul and governor of Britain . Plautius ' s wife , Pomponia Graecina , after the execution of her kinswoman Julia Drusi Caesaris by Claudius and Messalina , remained in mourning for forty years in open , and unpunished , defiance of the emperor . In 57 she was charged with a " foreign superstition " , interpreted by some to mean conversion to Christianity . According to Roman law , she was tried by her husband before her kinsmen , and was acquitted . Plautius was probably the uncle whose " distinguished service " saved Plautius Lateranus from the death penalty in 48 after his affair with Messalina . By the time Lateranus was eventually executed , in 65 for his part in a conspiracy against Nero , his uncle was probably dead and could no longer help him . Namesakes . Three other men of the same name are known :