Caratacus — The Greatest Briton You May Have Never Heard of.
The man who defied Rome.
There are lists aplenty ranking ‘The Greatest Ever Briton”. Winston Churchill tops most of these lists due to his success in leading the UK through WWII. But if being a wartime leader is a guarantee of greatness then how can we ignore the man who kept Britain fighting against the worlds greatest empire for around 7 years?
I, Claudius…
The Emporer Claudius needed a legacy. The mob were a fickle bunch and a solid military victory, especially against those British barbarians, ought to garner Claudius favour back in Rome. Britain was rich in arable land and tin. Rome required grain to feed its population of roughly 1 million citizens, a massive city for the time. Claudius needed to demonstrate his strength to the people of Rome. Keen to prove himself above Julius Caesar, Claudius did not make the same mistakes as Caesar had 100 years earlier. Claudius invaded with a huge army numbering 40,000 troops in 43AD. Claudius himself joined the invasion, although it is believed he stayed a mere 16 days; after defeating Caratacus at Camulodunum (Colchester), he returned home. The Roman forces did not though, they remained until 410AD.
