Caesar - First Invasion of Britain 55 BC

 

In the upheaval of the late Roman Republic, the highly antagonistic political environment created gaps in its' structure, and those who could rise through them were the strongest and most capable, so it is not a coincidence that a multitude of prominent figures appeared during this period.

 One of the most prominent figures of that period was Gaius Julius Caesar and if there was anyone in Rome who knew how to promote himself and his image that was definitely him, but there was no way more effective to promote yourself other than conquest and military glory.

 Caesar knew this very well so when, as proconsul of the Roman state, he was appointed to govern the province of transalpine Gaul, he found the perfect theatre that would serve as his field of military glory.

 In 58 B.C.E Caesar began a series of campaigns in Gaul that would forever extend the limits of the Roman world and alter the history of the area.

 But apart from Gaul, Caesar would always strive to achieve what no-one else achieved before him.

 In the midst of his Gallic campaigns he decided to break a new boundary, an unknown and almost mythical place for the Romans, who doubted its' very existence - the Island of Britain.

 In 55 BCE, after he had put down a Gallic rebellion the previous year, destroyed a Germanic tribe and Bridged the Rhine for the first time ever, he decided that the best way to embellish his reputation and inflate his image with the Roman people was to cross the channel and venture into this unknown land.

 His official pretext for the whole expedition was that the Britons were assisting his enemies in Gaul during their recent incursions, but we cannot know for sure how true this claim was.

 Nonetheless, Caesar sent one of his generals to scout the Island for suitable landing areas and, after he summoned every merchant that he could get his hands on, asking them about the specifics of the Island's topography and of its inhabitants, he gathered a fleet sufficient to carry 2 legions near modern day Boulogne, and sent his cavalry force to another port 8 miles from where his legions would embark.

 Around midnight of August 23rd, Julius Caesar finally set sail for this "mystical" island.

 After only a few hours of sailing the Roman fleet came in sight of the shore for the first time.

 One major topographic feature loomed over them...

 the towering cliffs of Dover.

 And to top it all off the native Britons were already amassed on the cliffs with their cavalry and chariots.

 It was becoming obvious that this was going to be a contested landing.

 Caesar assessed the situation and assembled his legates to tell them what he wished to be done, giving them full operational freedom and ordering them to relocate their fleet to a more suitable area for disembarkation.

 After advancing for about 7 miles they found a suitable open and level shore, but all the while, the native Britons shadowed their movement and endeavored to prevent the Romans from landing.

 Apart from the contested landing the Romans were facing another problem.

 Their ships were quite large and could not approach close to the shore, so the legionaries had to disembark in deep water, fully armed and burdened by their heavy shields and, while struggling with the waves, they also had to fend off the enemy attacks.

 Caesar reacted to this by ordering some of the ships to move towards the exposed flank of the enemy and shoot at them with their scorpions and arrows.

 The tactic proved quite effective and the Britons retreated towards the shore.

 The disembarked legionaries, chest deep in water and without a steady footing, fought against an unknown foe and hesitated to advance forward, protracting the strange amphibious stalemate.

 Suddenly one soldier, the aquilifer of the 10th legion, broke the silence by saying: "Leap fellow legionaries unless you want to betray your eagle to the enemy!

 I for my part will perform my duty to the Republic and to my General!"

 And with that he leapt from the ship and advanced towards the enemy.

 This proved to be a decisive incentive for the legionaries to act.

 Exhorting one another that so great a disgrace should not be incurred, all leapt from the ships and advanced decisively towards the enemy.

 But the Britons, from their vantage points and on steady ground, could easily spot isolated pockets of struggling Romans.

 With their swift horses they surrounded groups of legionaries, throwing their projectiles at the exposed flanks of the Romans.

 Caesar devised a solution on the spot by using small spy boats, that his ships were equipped with, to send troops to aid those in distress.

 Slowly but steadily the Romans advanced towards shallower water and began to push back the frustrated Britons.

 Once the Romans gained a firm footing and were adequately reinforced the Islanders were unable to withstand the countercharge and retreated inland.

 Without their cavalry the Romans were unable to chase them down but for the first time ever they have finally managed to gain a foothold on this mysterious Island.

 Caesar advanced inland with his legions and began to build a fortified encampment that would serve as his main base of operations.

 Meanwhile the native Britons decided that they should get on the good side of Caesar and sent envoys to sue for peace, apologizing for initiating the hostilities.

 Caesar accepted their offer and requested hostages.

 It seemed that this whole ordeal would end with some form of capitulation by the Britons.

 But the Romans, being natives of the Mediterranean, were not accustomed to the unpredictable nature of the northern seas and during that night, while their ships were conveniently drawn up on the strand, a high tide, coupled with a storm, dashed the ships together and severely damaged a lot of them.

 Caesar's army was now in dire straits.

 Many of the ships, which were their only means of transportation, were irreparably damaged and without provisions or any cavalry to easily forage, they were forced to dig in and send infantry parties to search for supplies, while at the same time a large proportion of the remaining legionaries would have to repair the salvageable ships with what they could find from the flotsam and the debris.

 During a routine watch at the gates of the camp the guards noticed a great amount of dust in the distance and raised the alarm.

 Caesar, wasting no time, gathered all troops within the camp.

 With 6 cohorts he rushed towards the area of upheaval.

 It turned out that a foraging legion had been ambushed by the Britons while they were unprepared and scattered.

 They were nearly overwhelmed by the Britons who had them completely surrounded and outnumbered, showering them with projectiles from all sides.

 Caesar arrived just in time and the Britons scattered into the woods.

 He didn't chase them due to his limited mobility

 and his unfamiliarity with the surrounding countryside.

 The Romans retreated to their camp and prepared for the worst.

 It was now obvious that the native Britons did not intend to make peace with the invaders.

 After this incident a series of storms occurred, confining the Romans within their camp.

 Caesar informs us that the enemy used that time to gather a large force to confront the Romans and drive them from their camp.

 It was an attitude that was spurred on by rumors of Roman weakness and by the desire to free themselves once and for all from the threat of Roman occupation, or so they thought.

 A large force of native Britons approached the Roman camp in battle order.

 We don't know their exact numbers but we do know that it was an army of both infantry and cavalry.

 Caesar's description of the battle is quite laconic - the tribal warriors could not hold back the disciplined charge of the Roman professionals for long and they fled pretty soon after the initial clash.

 Caesar, with a small cavalry force of 30 horses, together with his legionaries - who vigorously ran after the fleeing enemy - hunted down many of the Britons and slew a great number of them.

 Then, after burning everything in their path, the Romans retreated to their camp.

 After that the Britons realized that any further effort against the Romans was pointless and once more sued for peace which Caesar granted, but by doubling the amount of hostages which he had demanded before.

 The campaigning season was coming to a close and Caesar did not intend to winter in Britain.

 So after having met with favorable weather and with his ships repaired, he boarded his legions and departed for the continent during that same night.

 The departure of Caesar during that night marked the end of his first invasion of Britain.

 It is unlikely that he intended a full scale invasion and occupation, given his small force and the lack of baggage.

 But as an image making enterprise the operation was indeed quite effective.

 He became the first Roman to ever set foot on the island and he extended further the limits of the known world.

 And he would return a year later...