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II. How Caius Julius Caesar was the first Roman that came into Britain. [54 AD]
CHAP. II. How Caius Julius Caesar was the first Roman that came into Britain.
[54 AD]
Now Britain had never been visited by the Romans, and was entirely unknown to
them before the time of Caius Julius Caesar, who, in the year 693 after the
foundation of Rome, but the sixtieth year before the Incarnation of our Lord,
was consul with Lucius Bibulus. While he was making war upon the Germans and the
Gauls, who were divided only by the river Rhine, he came into the province of
the Morini, whence is the nearest and shortest passage into Britain. Here,
having provided about eighty ships of burden and fast-sailing vessels, he sailed
over into Britain; where, being first roughly handled in a battle, and then
caught in a storm, he lost a considerable part of his fleet, no small number of
foot-soldiers, and almost all his cavalry. Returning into Gaul, he put his
legions into winter-quarters, and gave orders for building six hundred sail of
both sorts. With these he again crossed over early in spring into Britain, but,
whilst he was marching with the army against the enemy, the ships, riding at
anchor, were caught in a storm and either dashed one against another, or driven
upon the sands and wrecked. Forty of them were lost, the rest were, with much
difficulty, repaired. Caesar’s cavalry was, at the first encounter, defeated by
the Britons, and there Labienus, the tribune, was slain. In the second
engagement, with great hazard to his men, he defeated the Britons and put them
to flight. Thence he proceeded to the river Thames, where a great multitude of
the enemy had posted themselves on the farther side of the river, under the
command of Cassobellaunus, and fenced the bank of the river and almost all the
ford under water with sharp stakes: the remains of these are to be seen to this
day, apparently about the thickness of a man’s thigh, cased with lead, and fixed
immovably in the bottom of the river. This being perceived and avoided by the
Romans, the barbarians, not able to stand the charge of the legions, hid
themselves in the woods, whence they grievously harassed the Romans with
repeated sallies. In the meantime, the strong state of the Trinovantes, with
their commander Androgius, surrendered to Caesar, giving him forty hostages.
Many other cities, following their example, made a treaty with the Romans.
Guided by them, Caesar at length, after severe fighting, took the town of
Cassobellaunus, situated between two marshes, fortified by sheltering woods, and
plentifully furnished with all necessaries. After this, Caesar returned from
Britain into Gaul, but he had no sooner put his legions into winter quarters,
than he was suddenly beset and distracted with wars and sudden risings on every
side.
