Romano-British culture

The term Romano-British describes the Romanized culture in Britain and the reign of the Roman Empire, had penetrated as Roman and Christian culture fully in the life of the indigenous Celtic-speaking population of Britain.

For Roman influence on British life included the grant of Roman citizenship. Initially it was very selective in here: Council members of certain groups or places that thereby became citizens; Veterans, either legionaries or soldiers from auxiliary troops; and a number of locals, whose patrons were able to get it for them - some of the regional Celtic kings, for example Togidubnus, civil rights were given in this way. Accordingly, the number of Roman citizens constantly grew, the right of citizenship was inherited, and decidedly more grants. Finally, all those who were not slaves or former slaves, given in the year 212 by the Constitutio Antoniniana the rights of citizenship.

The other inhabitants of Britain, who enjoyed no civil rights were peregrini who lived further under the law of their ancestors. The main disadvantages for them were:

• They could not own land under Italian law
• They could not serve as legionaries in the army although they could be with the auxiliary troops and citizens because of their dismissal

For the vast bulk of the British population, who were bound to the soil, farmers, civil rights would have brought no dramatic changes in their daily lives.

Britain was also a number of years independently from the rest of the Roman Empire, first as a part of the Gallic Empire, then a few decades under the usurpers Carausius and Allectus.

Christianity came to Britain in the 3rd century. An early personality was in St Alban, the Verulamium was killed ( in the area of present-day St Albans ) near the Roman city, according to tradition, during the reign of the Emperor Decius.

Following the withdrawal of Roman troops in the time of Emperor Honorius the Romano - British were forced to defend their Romanised civilization with its own funds. The depredations of the Picts led them to recruit on the mainland Germanic Saxons and Angles as mercenaries who were in turn land for their growing population. After the victory over the Picts, the Angles and Saxons turned against their hosts and limited the Romano - British on the western part of the island, especially Wales and Cornwall.

The battles this time are reflected in the legends to Uther Pendragon and Arthur. It is sometimes said that Ambrosius Aurelianus, leader of Romano- British forces, the template for the former gave, and that Arthur's court in Camelot represents an idealized memory of the pre- Saxon Romano- British civilization.

• Britain ( Roman Empire )
• Britons