THE ROMAN TIMES IN BRITISH HISTORY
In the early days of history (50-450) England was known as Britain and the people who lived there were the Britons. There were no big towns on the British Isles at the time. People lived in small villages along the rivers or near the sea. The Britons caught fish, grew wheat and had many pigs, cows and sheep in the meadows near the rivers and on the sides of the mountains. Later they learnt to make wool and metal and sold to the people who came across the sea.
The Romans with Julius Caesar at the head invaded the British Isles and forced the population to pay tribute.
The Romans kept their armies in Britain . They built roads and had the country under control.
They protected themselves from the attacks of the Britons by the walls, which they built across Britain .
You can see the Roman walls in Britain even now. Here is Hadrian's Wall , which was built by the emperor Hadrian in the year 122.
The Romans left the country only in the second half of the 5 th century. The Roman armies were called back to Italy where they defended the country from barbaric tribes.
The Britons couldn't keep their land free for a long time. The Germanic tribes from Western Europe - the Angles, Saxons and Jutes - attacked the coasts of Britain . And after long wars with Britons settled on the British Isles . The Britons fought bravely against the enemies and defended their land. But the enemies were stronger. They took houses, fields and cattle from the Britons. The Angles got most of the land became the strongest tribe. The Britons went to the mountains to the west of the Isles and settled there. This part is Britain is called Wales now. As time went on two peoples—the Angles and Saxons—grew into one and were called Anglo-Saxons. They called their speech English, and their country English — that is, the Land of the English.
THE ROMAN TIMES IN BRITISH HISTORY
• 1. What people lived on the British Isles in the early days of history?
• 2. Where did people live?
• 3. What did the Batons catch and grow in the meadows near the nvers, on the sides
of the mountains?
• 4. Who headed the Roman invaders?
• 5. Why did the Romans built roads and walls across Briton?
• 6. When did the Romans leave the country and why?
• 7. Who attacked the coasts of Britain and settled down on the British Isles after long
wars with the Britons?
• 8. What tribe got most of the land and became the strongest?
• 9. Where did the Britons go and settle down?
• 10. Who called their speech English and the country England ?
What kind of people are Englishmen? First of all they are reserved.