Five things you (probably) didn't know about...Roman Britain

Rob Collins shares five surprising facts about life in Britain during the Roman occupation

- By Rob Collins

1 Roman Britain was more than just one province

After the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43, Britain was named a province and given its first governor, Aulus Plautius. However, Septimius Severus, or possibly his son Caracalla, split the province of Britannia into two by AD 213: Britannia Superior and Britannia Inferior. Later, under Diocletian (reigned 284-305) or Constantine (reigned 306-337), Britannia was made a diocese consisting of four provinces: Maxima Caesariensis (south-east England); Flavia Caesariensis (eastern England and the Midlands); Britannia Prima (Wales and south-west England); and Britannia Secunda (northern England). Each time a new province was named, it was given a governor and staff to manage its affairs on behalf of the emperor.

A map from 1878 showing the four provinces of fourth-century Britain. Modern scholars debate the locations and borders of these provinces

2 It's only thanks to the Romans that we know the names of native gods