Caesar’s 2nd British Invasion
Julius Caesar fights the Celts under Cassivellaunus
In 54 BC, Julius Caesar very nearly conquered Britain.
When Julius Caesar returned from his failed expedition to Britain in 55 BC, he immediately began to plan a second invasion the following year. He started by ordering the construction of a new invasion fleet of boats with a shallow draft that would be able to deliver troops closer in to the British shore.
A year later, the ships were finished, and Caesar launched his fleet early in the summer. The invasion force included five Roman Legions (as opposed to two during his first invasion) and around 2,000 auxiliary cavalry. The fleet itself consisted of around 800 ships.
Meanwhile, in Britain, the Celts were aware of the coming invasion. For the moment, the various tribes put aside their differences and agreed to operate under the command of Cassivellaunus, chief of Catuvellauni (a tribe of the Belgae). Cassivellanus’ tribe was based along the river Thames, nearly 75 miles inland, and had not participated in the first Roman invasion.
The Celts formed up along the coast in order to contest the Roman landing, but upon seeing the size of the attacking fleet, thought better of it. The Roman’s landed unopposed.
After landing, Caesar marched his legions quickly into the British heartland. He met the Celts in several battles and each time handily defeated them. Caesar soon learned of Cassivellaunus and turned his army to advance upon the Catuvellauni . The Romans made an opposed crossing of the river Thames, fighting through the wide river and the sharpened stakes the Celts had erected on the far shore. Soon, they fought their way to Cassivellaunus’ fortress capital and took it in a quick assault.
After this, Cassivellaunus dismissed much of his army, retaining only his cavalry and chariots. He changed his strategy and only attacked the Romans by raid and ambush. It was a successful tactic, but not successful enough to stop the Roman’s slow advance.
As a last effort, Cassivellaunus organized a surprise attack on the Roman forces that had been left to guard the beached fleet. This attack was soundly defeated.
As the summer campaign season drew to a close, the Romans were firmly in control of a large chunk of Britain and Cassivellaunus sent envoys to Caesar asking for peace terms. At nearly the same time, news reached Caesar of major uprisings back in Gaul. Accepting Cassivellaunus’ entreaty, Caesar took hostages and set a tithe on Britain that should be paid to Rome. He then took the whole of his army and sailed back to Gaul.
The rebellions in Gaul took nearly three years to put down, and after that, Caesar became involved in the Roman civil war. He would never return to Britain. The tithe he had set would never be paid. Once again Britain became a state of warring Celtic tribes and would stay that way for nearly another hundred years.
