In 55 and 54 BC Julius Caesar invaded Britain but on both occasions was defeated by the Britons . Almost a hundred years later ( 43 AD ) Emperor Claudius turned up (appeared ) with four legions and some war elephants !!! and conquered Britain. The emperor stayed in Britain for only 16 days but his men succesfully made Britain part of the Roman Empire.This event united Britain and influenced the language , culture and architecture.
Colchester , the oldest recorded town in Britain and formerly known as Camulodunum, became the capital of Roman Britain.Most towns founded by the Romans in Britain are still towns today. You can usually spot (recognize) an English town of Roman origin by its name which will have 'chester' 'caster' or 'cester' in it. These words derive from the Latin word castra meaning a camp which was used by the Anglo-Saxons for any Roman settlement.(A place where people come to live) Some examples are Colchester, Lancaster, Leicester, and Winchester.
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There are a lot of English words of Latin origin.Here are a few:
Caesar (pronounced /siːze/ ), emperor, legion , calendar, candle,school and street.
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Click on the link to watch an interesting six minute video about the Romans and the town of Colchester.
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