Caesar's invasions of Britain

Overview

In the course of his Gallic Wars, Julius Caesar invaded Britain twice: in 55 and 54 BC. On the first occasion, Caesar took with him only two legions, and achieved little beyond a landing on the coast of Kent. The second invasion was more substantial, consisting of 800 ships, five legions and 2,000 cavalry. The force was so imposing that the Celtic Britons did not initially contest Caesar's landing, waiting instead until he began to move inland. Caesar eventually penetrated into Middlesex and crossed the Thames, forcing the British warlord Cassivellaunus to pay tribute to Rome and setting up Mandubracius of the Trinovantes as a client king. The Romans then returned to Gaul without conquering any territory.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Caesar's two invasions of Britain in 55 and 54 BC were conducted during the broader Gallic War and constituted Rome's first substantial military contact with the island. The first expedition, carried out with only two legions, amounted to little more than a coastal landing in Kent and produced no lasting result. The second was a far more significant operation: 800 ships, five legions, and 2,000 cavalry crossed to Britain, and the scale of the force was sufficient to deter the Celtic Britons from contesting the landing itself. Caesar advanced inland, crossed the Thames into Middlesex, and compelled the British warlord Cassivellaunus to pay tribute to Rome. He also installed Mandubracius of the Trinovantes as a client king, establishing a degree of Roman political influence over part of the island. Despite these achievements, the Romans returned to Gaul without annexing any territory, leaving Britain outside direct Roman control. The expeditions demonstrated both the reach of Roman military power during the Gallic War and its limits: Caesar had projected force across the Channel and extracted political concessions, but the campaigns did not translate into permanent conquest or occupation.

Tactics

Forces & casualties

Commanders (2)