Defying Rome

Rome's power was under constant challenge. Nowhere was this truer than in Britain, Rome's remotest and most recalcitrant province. From the beginning to the end, a succession of idealists, chancers and reactionaries fomented dissent and rebellion. Some, like Caratacus and Boudica, were tribal chiefs who wanted to expel Rome and recover their lost power. Others were military opportunists such as Carausius and Allectus, who wanted to become emperor and were prepared to exploit everything Britain had to offer to support their own bids for power. This book covers eleven rebellions and explains why Britain was such a hot-bed of dissent. Each chapter is a story in itself, combining archaeology with the dramatic testimony of the historical and epigraphic sources.