Britannia

Book excerpt: This book completely re-evaluates the evidence for, and the interpretation of, the rule of the kings of Late Iron Age Britain: Cunobelin and Verica. Within a few generations of their reigns, after one died and the other had fled, Rome’s ceremonial centres had been transformed into the magnificence of Roman towns with monumental public buildings and Britannia examines these kings’ long-lasting legacy in the creation of Britannia. Among the topics considered are: the links between Iron Age king of Britain and Rome before the Claudian conquest the creation of the towns of Roman Britain the different natures of 'Roman identity' the long lasting influence of the kings on the development of the province the widely different ways that archaeologists have read the evidence. Examining the kings' legacy in the creation of the Roman province of Britannia, the book examines the interface of two worlds and how much each owed to the other.