Updated Sunday 15 May, 2011 12:18 PM

I once toyed with the notion of a Roman Britain surviving after the 5^th century. Fell flat on its face, of course. Britain was never truly Roman.

Well, forget that, I thought to myself. Self, I said, let’s go the other way. WI there was never a Roman invasion of Britain?

Well, first and foremost, let’s take a look at Britain before 43AD. It was divided amongst a variety of Celtic tribes.

However, one had begun gaining ascendancy. These were the Catuvellauni. They ruled most of Southeast England, and had been steadily expanding. They had control of the Sussex coast, Essex, part of Suffolk, and what we would call the Greater London Area.

Now things get, well, messily complicated.Cunobelin was the king of the Cautvellauni and the Trinovantes, who were assimilated. He was ratified as a rex (King) by the Romans. Cunobelin also managed to subdue, once and for all, the Atrebates. He then suffered a stroke, and died before the Roman invasion.

After his strokes, his sons, as sons have a way of doing, started fighting. Adminius, who ruled Cantium (I hope you’re aware of where this was) was expelled by Togodumnus and Caratacus. Adminius fled to Gaul, where he beseeched Claudius for aid. He helped Claudius subdue Britain.

So, let’s suppose that Cunobelin doesn’t suffer the stroke. He’s old, but he keeps Arminius from appealing to Caligula and Caesar for assistance.

Invasion

Now let’s turn to the Roman side of things. Claudius is the new Emperor. But he’s believed to be mentally retarded, and was only chosen as the Emperor because the praetorians found him first. In fact, in 42 AD there’s a revolt in Illycrum (Eastern Adriatic) against him by the governor. Some Senators favor the restoration of the Republic. Considered a puppet Emperor, he’s determined to change that.

So, looking at a map, he realizes that there’s this odd shaped island off of Gaul that they don’t know that much about. It’s supposed to have gold, definitely has tin, lead, and iron, and equally important, is a potential threat.

Well, the fleet runs into problems setting off from Gaul in 43 AD. It hits bad weather, and is delayed. Platius, who is in command in TTL as well, has trouble getting into contact with the main forces of the Britons.

The armies still clash at Medway. The difference is that the chariots are guarded, and are able to be used in the battle. As a result, when the Roman legions cross, they get caught hit by chariots as they form up. On the second day of the battle, the Romans withdraw. While crossing the channel (in November/December), they lose men when the ships sink. The Omens are against invading Britain, which becomes a curse. “May you invade Britain” ranks up there with mentions of invading Germany. Not because the Britons are a nasty people, but because the Channel is cursed.

Troubles at Home

So, Claudius now has to explain how he devastated three legions. I suspect that he can hold onto his throne. After all, he managed to kill over thirty senators in OTL who were opposed to him. Claudius will not be able to raid into Germany, however, and in 48 AD he is overthrown by his wife, Valeria, and her lover, Gaius Silius.Gaius adopts her son… Nero. (For a change from OTL, of course). Gaius also decides to keep the borders of the Empire at their current state. Gaius is a surpisingly successful legal reformer, and recognizes Caratacus as “Rex Britannica”-King of Britain.

Britain

Now we have to cast about and figure out what’s going to happen in Britain. My feeling is that the Catuvellauni will gradually subdue most of England. The best parallel is probably Gaul. Britain was gradually drawn into the Roman trading network pre-conquest OTL, and this will likely continue. Urbanization will likely develop, but slower than OTL.

So, let us say that the 60’s see the defeat of the Coritanai (South Yorkshire, basically), and by 100 AD most of England is under control by the Britons.

This leaves a Celtic kingdom on the border of the Roman provinces of Gaul. And the northern provinces took a good while to be assimilated.

It then leaves the king, oh, Andoco, with a problem. He has a good number of warriors who want loot. There probably will be minor raids against neighbors in primitive longboats, like the ones the Veneti had in Gaul. If the Britons launch a major campaign against Rome when the Barbarians start crossing into the Empire in the third century, things are going to get messy for the Empire.

At this point, the province may invade the Empire, helping to bring it down earlier. More probably, it is also invaded.

Conclusion

Even if it survives that round, and the temptations by Roman senators to invade, then it may collapse under later invasions.

Or it may participate in that round; after all, the Venetti (Gauls in Brittanny) built things much like Viking warships.

But ultimately, I think, Celtic Britain would fall. It would be inherently instable; it would be on the borders of an expansionist empire; it would be rich, and tempting to barbarian hordes.

Hmm. This was a disappointing piece to write, because it appears that once again, the Celts are doomed.