- International
- Education Jobs
- Schools directory
- Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search
Homework tasks The Romans
Subject: History
Age range: 7-11
Resource type: Worksheet/Activity
Last updated
3 February 2015
- Share through email
- Share through twitter
- Share through linkedin
- Share through facebook
- Share through pinterest
Creative Commons "Sharealike"
Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.
It's good to leave some feedback.
Something went wrong, please try again later.
janetteeeyles
I've called on this each week
Empty reply does not make any sense for the end user
Super - just what I was looking for!
Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.
Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:
Home » Romans
The Romans facts
The Romans facts for kids KS2 learning at Primary School. Homework help with the history of Romans, the Roman Empire and places to visit in the UK where you can learn more about the Romans.
Time: 750BC - 500AD
How did the Romans begin?
The legend says there were two twins called Romulus and Remus. When their uncle decided to have them killed they were put in a trough and into the River Tiber. They were found by a wolf and a woodpecker, and then raised by a shepherd. The twins eventually went back to the River Tiber where they were found, and created A city. Romulus set a boundary around the city to keep his brother out. but his brother Remus crossed the boundary and Romulus killed him and named the city after himself. The city of Rome.
It was nearly 3,000 years ago when the population of Rome started to grow into the most powerful city in Italy. It was ruled by Kings until the last king was driven out. The city then choose their own leaders, a group of men who came from the most important families. This was the beginning of the Roman Empire as the Romans (the people of Rome) controlled the whole of Italy.
The Roman Empire
The Roman Empire grew even more and took control of many counties in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa over the next 500 years. The Romans were ruthless and bloodthirsty and had a strong army so they won battles and took over the land. But the Romans didn't stop there, they wanted to control even more land.
A gladiator slave called Spartacus gathered a group of Gladiators together to revolt (do battle) against the Roman army. After a year of travelling through the Roman Empire doing battles, they still haven't managed to take control of Rome. Eventually, Spartacus died in battle and the other gladiators were crucified by the Roman army.
Who was Julius Caesar?
As the Romans became more powerful and took more land, the Senators started to argue how they should run the land. In 49BC a man called Julius Caesar came to Rome with his army and took power. Although he tried to make peace, the Senators thought he might become another king and not wanting that again, they killed him.
Who was the first emperor of Rome?
While the Senators still argued, Julius Caesar's great-nephew, Augustus, fought and won control of Rome. He became Rome's first emperor. Altogether, there were 147 Roman Emperors over the whole time the Roman Empire ruled.
Horrible Histories - Rotten Romans
The Roman Army
Over the next 150 years, the Romans took control of even more land. They had a strong, well-organised army that could surround a whole city so no one could get out and then eventually, force their way in. Soldiers were very well trained and could march over 50km (30 miles) a day. Any healthy man who was aged between 17 and 46 had to join the army. They would then remain in the army for 25 years.
Places to see Romans
Roman britain.
By 55 BC The Roman Empire had reached Britain where the Celts controlled the land. In their first invasion, under Julius Caesar's rule, the Celts won and the Romans didn't get what they wanted. So they tried again 100 years later when Emperor Claudius was ruling. This time they won and took control of southern Britain.
The Celts, not happy with the invasion tried to fight back, but the Roman army was too powerful and each time the Romans defeated them.
The Romans never managed to control Scotland as it was ruled by fierce warrior tribes. In the end, the Romans built a wall called Hadrian's wall in the north of England to keep those fierce warriors out.
Roman facts
- Romans were great engineers. They built everything from road, bridge and aqueducts (raised channels to carry water), to drains, sewers and the first-ever block of flats.
- Public bath-houses were a great way for Romans to relax and meet friends. They had hot and cold swimming pools, sports facilities and offered massages and beauty treatment.
- Before having a bath Romans would rub olive oil over there bodies and scrape it off with metal scrappers called strigils.
- The Romans were the first to have underfloor heating. Hot air, heated by a furnace and circulated through brick-lined pipes underneath the floor.
- Romans spent their time by eating, drinking, gambling, going to the theatre, chariot races or gladiator fights.
Follow Super Brainy Beans's board Romans on Pinterest.
What is Hadrian's wall?
Hadrian's wall was ordered to be made by the Roman emperor Hadrian. It is 117 kilometres long and 4.5 metres high in places. Built-in the north of England, its main purpose was to keep out Celtic raiders.
How did the Roman Empire end?
Around 200AD, the Roman Empire started to fall apart with soldiers were choosing their own emperors and fighting among themselves. In 395AD, the Roman Empire became split permanently into two, East and West.
Then the city of Rome was attacked twice. A Visigoth chief called Odoacer made himself King of Italy and ended the Western Empire. The Eastern Empire continued for another thousand years.
Also on Super Brainy Beans
- DIGITAL MAGAZINE
MOST POPULAR
Romans primary resource
Discover the secrets of the roman empire and life in ancient rome.
This primary resource introduces children to Roman life and culture. Discover the secrets of the Roman Empire and what life was like for Roman citizens. What were the Romans known for? What made the Roman army so successful? How did they live?
Pupils will learn about how and where the Roman Empire started, who the rulers of Rome were and what went on in the famous Colosseum in our National Geographic Kids’ Romans primary resource sheet.
The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for understanding aspects of Roman life, as a printed handout for each pupil to review and annotate, or for display on the interactive whiteboard using the illustrations and short snippets of information for class discussion.
Activity: Ask children to choose one of the subheadings in the resource and use the information and their own research to create their own comic strip based on that topic. They could also design their own statues of the Roman gods mentioned, in the style of the photographs shown in the resource.
N.B. The following information for mapping the resource documents to the school curriculum is specifically tailored to the English National Curriculum and Scottish Curriculum for Excellence . We are currently working to bring specifically tailored curriculum resource links for our other territories; including South Africa , Australia and New Zealand . If you have any queries about our upcoming curriculum resource links, please email: [email protected]
This History primary resource assists with teaching the following History objectives from the National Curriculum :
- Know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind.
- Know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world.
- Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales.
National Curriculum Key Stage 1 History objective :
- Pupils should be taught significant historical events, people and places in their own locality.
National Curriculum Key Stage 2 History objective :
- Pupils should be taught about: the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
This History primary resource assists with teaching the following Social Studies Second level objective from the Scottish Curriculum for Excellence :
- I can discuss why people and events from a particular time in the past were important, placing them within a historical sequence
- I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and differences
Download primary resource
Leave a comment.
Your comment will be checked and approved shortly.
WELL DONE, YOUR COMMENT HAS BEEN ADDED!
Customize your avatar.
A lifetime of Attenborough’s documentaries
Satellite images hint at lost mayan city.
Out-of-this-world LEGO® Space sets!
Join the Mars Mission!
Sign up to our newsletter
Get uplifting news, exclusive offers, inspiring stories and activities to help you and your family explore and learn delivered straight to your inbox.
You will receive our UK newsletter. Change region
WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
COUNTRY * Australia Ireland New Zealand United Kingdom Other
By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and will receive emails from us about news, offers, activities and partner offers.
You're all signed up! Back to subscription site
Type whatever you want to search
More Results
You’re leaving natgeokids.com to visit another website!
Ask a parent or guardian to check it out first and remember to stay safe online.
You're leaving our kids' pages to visit a page for grown-ups!
Be sure to check if your parent or guardian is okay with this first.
The Romans & Roman Empire History Lessons, Worksheets & Resources
Browse our online library of the romans & roman empire lessons and resources. aimed at students 11-14 years old (ks3) & 14-16 year old (gcse). great for home study or to use within the classroom environment., featured resources.
Looking to save time and find the most popular and useful resources on School History? Take a look at the featured resources below.
GCSE/KS3 Resources
Are you teaching GCSE or KS3? If so, you can save a lot of time with our specific Romans modules below.
All Resources
Punic wars facts & worksheets.
View →
Blackamoors Facts & Worksheets
Roman britain facts & worksheets, augustus caesar facts & worksheets, marcus aurelius facts & worksheets, hadrian’s wall facts & worksheets, ancient britain facts & worksheets, antonine wall facts & worksheets, aurelian moors facts & worksheets, beachy head lady facts & worksheets, ivory bangle lady facts & worksheets, charlemagne facts & worksheets, romulus and remus facts & worksheets, etruscan civilisation facts & worksheets, constantine the great facts & worksheets, queen boudica facts & worksheets, julius caesar facts & worksheets, roman empire facts & worksheets, byzantine empire facts & worksheets, canterbury cathedral facts & worksheets, mark antony facts & worksheets, cleopatra facts & worksheets, ancient rome timeline facts & worksheets, claudius galen facts & worksheets, ancient roman medicine facts & worksheets, a roman menu facts & worksheets, roman sewers facts & worksheets, history of slavery facts & worksheets, ancient rome facts & worksheets.
- Fundamentals NEW
- Biographies
- Compare Countries
- World Atlas
ancient Rome
Introduction.
Ancient Rome can be divided into two main periods. The Roman people established a republic in about 509 bce . The republic became an empire in 27 bce . That empire lasted for almost 500 years, until the 400s ce .
Roman Culture
Ancient Rome made many lasting contributions to world culture. But the Romans also absorbed the culture of the peoples they conquered. For instance, the Romans took many ideas about art from the ancient Greeks . Romans also worshiped many Greek gods, though they gave them new names. Later, Rome adopted Christianity , a religion from the Middle East.
Roman writers wrote history, comedy, tragedy, and poetry. From Latin, the ancient Roman language, many other languages later developed. These languages, known as the Romance languages, include French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Romanian. People today use the Latin alphabet to write these and other western languages, including English.
An important group called the Senate gave advice to the consuls. The members, called senators, were patricians. They met in a building in the Forum, an area of Rome that was the center of public life. The Senate grew more powerful over the years.
Most Romans were not patricians but plebeians, or common people. The plebeians staged an uprising in 494 bce . They gradually won more power. By 367 bce one of the two consul positions was set aside for the plebeians.
Rome suffered some setbacks as it slowly expanded its territory. In about 390 bce a northern group called the Gauls took over the city. They would not leave until the Romans paid them a large amount of gold. Another group called the Samnites defeated the Romans in 321 bce . In general, however, Rome’s conquests could not be stopped. By 275 bce Rome had forced the Greeks to give up their colonies in Italy.
By 260 bce Rome’s last remaining rival in the western Mediterranean was the city of Carthage , in North Africa. For more than a century the Romans fought Carthage for power. It took three wars—called the Punic Wars—before the Roman forces totally destroyed Carthage in 146 bce .
Rome then turned to other areas, including Sicily, Spain, Macedonia, Greece, and Asia Minor (now Turkey). Governors called proconsuls managed most of the conquered lands. They had great power. The Romans taxed the conquered people heavily. They also enslaved many conquered people. The Romans put these captives to work on farms and as personal servants in cities. Slaves were used in Rome until about the 300s ce .
Meanwhile, Rome continued to expand its empire. The most successful general was Julius Caesar . He won victories in far-off areas and then took power in Rome. However, his enemies assassinated him in 44 bce . This set off another period of civil war.
Peace finally came under the leadership of Julius Caesar’s grandnephew Octavian. Octavian defeated his rivals for power, including the Roman general Mark Antony and the Egyptian queen Cleopatra , by 30 bce . He was crowned Rome’s first emperor in 27 bce . He became known as Augustus Caesar . During Augustus’ rule, the emperor gained absolute control over the state and came to be worshiped like a god.
Two centuries of peace and progress followed. The empire’s frontiers expanded all the way to Britain and the Arabian Peninsula. The Romans built roads, bridges, and aqueducts, or water pipes, throughout their vast empire. They also brought their laws to conquered lands.
The emperor Tiberius ruled from 14 to 37 ce . During this time the Roman government in Palestine put Jesus to death. Some of Jesus’ followers, called Christians, later set up a community in Rome. At first the Romans did not agree with the Christian religion. They mistreated and killed many Christians. But in 312 ce the emperor Constantine I became a Christian himself. Christianity eventually became the main religion of the Roman Empire.
By this time, the empire was weakening. Constantine believed he could strengthen the empire if he moved its center away from Rome. In 330 he created a new capital in the Greek colony of Byzantium. He renamed the city Constantinople (now Istanbul , Turkey).
After the death of the emperor Theodosius I in 395, the Roman Empire split in two. The Eastern Roman Empire was based in Constantinople. The Western Roman Empire was based in Rome. Several groups of outside peoples, including the Vandals and the Huns , attacked the western empire. A group called the Visigoths attacked the city of Rome in 410. The last western emperor fell in 476. This brought an end to the Western Roman Empire. The eastern empire continued as the Byzantine Empire until 1453.
It’s here: the NEW Britannica Kids website!
We’ve been busy, working hard to bring you new features and an updated design. We hope you and your family enjoy the NEW Britannica Kids. Take a minute to check out all the enhancements!
- The same safe and trusted content for explorers of all ages.
- Accessible across all of today's devices: phones, tablets, and desktops.
- Improved homework resources designed to support a variety of curriculum subjects and standards.
- A new, third level of content, designed specially to meet the advanced needs of the sophisticated scholar.
- And so much more!
Want to see it in action?
Start a free trial
To share with more than one person, separate addresses with a comma
Choose a language from the menu above to view a computer-translated version of this page. Please note: Text within images is not translated, some features may not work properly after translation, and the translation may not accurately convey the intended meaning. Britannica does not review the converted text.
After translating an article, all tools except font up/font down will be disabled. To re-enable the tools or to convert back to English, click "view original" on the Google Translate toolbar.
- Privacy Notice
- Terms of Use
English Heritage
- https://www.facebook.com/englishheritage
- https://twitter.com/englishheritage
- https://www.youtube.com/user/EnglishHeritageFilm
- https://instagram.com/englishheritage
Teaching Romans
Roman Britain lasted for over three and a half centuries from AD 43 to c.410. The Romans left many marks on England's landscape that give us clues about how they came to Britain and how their rule influenced daily life.
Read advice from our educational experts and historians on how to tell your early Roman defences from your Saxon shore forts, the pitfalls to avoid, and suggested activities to try with your students at home, in the classroom, or on a school trip.
This guide is intended to help anyone teaching the Roman period, but the activities featured will be of particular interest to National Curriculum Key Stage 2 learners.
Hints and Tips
- Break it down – The Romans ruled Britain for around 350 years and during this period society, technology and daily life changed a lot: Britain was a very different place in 410 compared to AD 43.
- Make it relevant – Get your students to do a local study, e.g. ‘what the Romans did for us’. Bring the learning into their homes and local town to encourage greater engagement.
- Reflect the diversity of the Empire – It’s easy to generalise when talking about ‘the Romans’ and forget the rich diversity of people and cultures that made up the Roman Empire. Try to reflect this wherever possible.
- Things aren’t always clean cut –The end of Roman rule came gradually and happened at different times in different places across Britain. There was no clear decision to decolonise Britain at a specific time, Roman rule simply petered out over a number of years.
Suggested Reading and Activities
Act Like a Roman (KS1-KS2) - Wroxeter Roman City Teachers' Kit
Can you act like a Roman? Try this activity to explore how the Romans dressed and behaved.
Mosaic Templates (KS1-KS2) - Wroxeter Roman City Teachers' Kit
Could you be a Roman mosaic maker? Use our mosaic templates as inspiration for your own Roman art.
Bathing Roman-Style (KS1-2) - Wroxeter Roman City Teachers' Kit
Imagine that you are visiting the baths at Wroxeter Roman City. What are the sights, sounds and smells that you might experience?
Sources (KS1-KS4+) - Wroxeter Roman City Teachers' Kit
Investigate primary and secondary sources relating to Wroxeter Roman City to discover more about the site and its history.
Birdoswald Roman Fort Teachers' Resource Pack (KS2-KS3)
Find out more about life on Hadrian's Wall by exploring the historical information and site plan in this resource pack for Birdoswald Roman Fort.
Birdoswald Roman Fort Timeline (KS2-KS3)
Chart the changes at Birdoswald Roman Fort using our timeline and understand what was happening elsewhere in the Roman Empire.
Lullingstone Roman Villa Teachers' Resource Pack (KS2-KS3)
Find out more about life in a Roman villa by exploring the historical information and site plan in this resource pack for Lullingstone Roman Villa.
Lullingstone Roman Villa Timeline (KS2-KS3)
Discover the development of Lullingstone Roman Villa and understand what was happening elsewhere in the Roman Empire using our timeline.
History At Home Live! Romans
Watch History At Home Live! with Ben Shires and our expert Mark Douglas to better understand life on Hadrian’s Wall.
Why was it built? How was it built? Who lived there? Find out the answers to all these questions and more.
Get to Grips with the Period
Julius Caesar raided Britain in 55 and 54 BC but full-scale conquest began when Roman forces landed near Richborough Roman Fort in AD 43. The Roman army had reached northern Scotland by AD 84, before eventually retreating to the permanent frontier of Hadrian’s Wall .
Roman Britain was peaceful and prosperous for long periods despite ongoing tensions at its frontiers. Country houses like Lullingstone Roman Villa flourished, and leisure facilities were founded, like the bath house at Wroxeter Roman City and the Silchester Amphitheatre .
Towards the end of the 3rd century, attacks by Germanic raiders prompted the construction of Saxon shore forts like Burgh Castle . Garrisons were mainly British-born by this point and little distinguished ‘Romans’ from ‘Britons’ when imperial rule petered out.
Daily Life in Roman Britain
The daily experiences of most people in Britain were inevitably touched by its incorporation into the Roman Empire.
Romans: Landscape
What kind of landscape did the Romans find when they conquered Britain, and what changes did they make?
Romans: Art
Rome’s success was built on the organised and practical application of ideas long known to the ancient world.
Romans: Power and Politics
Britain was one of some 44 provinces which made up the Roman Empire at its height in the early 2nd century AD.
Romans Glossary
ROMAN TERMS
Britannia The Roman name for Britain, occupied by the Britanniae (the Britons).
‘cauldarium’ A hot room in a bath suite
civic buildings The name given to buildings built for the community workers to use, such as baths, shops and offices, often located in the centre of a town.
civilian A person not in the army.
Curia The town council who made decisions about the town and tried to keep it running smoothly.
‘fabricae’ Workshops were soldiers could go to make and repair armour and weapons and fit shoes to the horses used by cavalrymen.
forum A public area, often in the centre of a Roman town or city where religious ceremonies, political meetings, social activities and the selling and buying of goods took place.
‘frigidarium’ A cold room in a bath suite.
garrison A unit of soldiers stationed in a particular place/fort to defend it.
hillfort An Iron Age (Native British) fort built on a hill, often enclosed by a system of defensive banks and ditches.
‘horrea’ Found in Roman forts, these are granaries or storehouses for grain used to make bread for the garrison.
Latin The language spoken in Rome and the western Roman Empire.
Legion A unit of around 5000 soldiers, all of whom were Roman.
legionary fortress The place where a Roman Legion would stay and train. A legionary fortress would have about 5,000 foot soldiers, who were all Roman citizens, and 500 cavalrymen, who were usually recruited from native tribes in the local area.
Londinium The Roman name for London.
milecastle Small forts that were built to defend gates placed at every (Roman) mile along Hadrian’s Wall. They were built to the same design, with a watchtower, and two long buildings to house around 30 soldiers. Native Britons could pass through the Wall at a milecastle, which allowed the Romans to tax goods and control movement across the frontier.
‘natatio’ A pool where people could go to cool down during a visit to the Roman baths. At Wroxeter, this was outside.
native A person already living in the area when the Romans invaded. At Wroxeter, the native people were the Cornovii tribe.
‘principia’ The headquarters building in the middle of a Roman fortress. This is where the army commander and the people who worked for him did most of their work.
Roman administration The government of the Roman Empire.
‘sudatorium’ A hot, dry room (like a sauna) in a Roman bath, which was next to a furnace.
‘templum’ A building (temple), where worship and religious ceremonies took place and where offerings were made to a god or gods.
‘tepidarium’ A warm room in a bath suite.
‘valetudinarium’ The Latin word for hospital in Roman times.
- Aldborough Roman Site
- Ambleside Roman Fort
- Benwell Vallum Crossing
- Birdoswald Roman Fort
- Burgh Castle
- Chester Roman Amphitheatre
- Chesters Roman Fort and Museum
- Cirencester Amphitheatre
- Corbridge Roman Town
- Great Witcombe Roman Villa
- Hadrian’s Wall
- Hardknott Roman Fort
- Housesteads Roman Fort
- Jordan Hill Roman Temple
- Lullingstone Roman Villa
- London Wall
- North Leigh Roman Villa
- Pevensey Castle
- Piercebridge Roman Bridge
- Portchester Castle
- Ravenglass Roman Bath House
- Reculver Towers and Roman Fort
- Richborough Roman Fort and Amphitheatre
- Roman Wall of St Albans
- Silchester Roman City Walls and Amphitheatre
- Wall Roman Site
- Wheeldale Roman Road
- Wroxeter Roman City
Expert Advice
We asked one of our curators for their advice on teaching the Romans:
The Romans have left us a great number of monuments spread out across the country; from Hadrian's Wall in the north to Richborough Roman Fort in the south. But remember, the Romans also left us a great many other things which have lasted into the modern age, like language. We still use lots of Latin words in our daily speech, like 'school', 'quiet', 'me', 'fame', 'etc.' (which itself comes from the Latin et cetera, meaning 'and others'). Many of our modern roads folllow the routes laid out by the Romans and many of our towns and cities began life as Roman settlements. The Roman period was important not only for the native population at the time, but also for those who came afterwards. - Dr Mark Douglas, Senior Properties Curator
Video Resources
Discover our Romans-themed videos to find out more about how they changed Britain and what life was like under Roman rule.
Uncover why Hadrian built his famous wall and what life was like for Roman legionaries living on the Roman Empire’s northern frontier. Find out how to make a Roman mosaic and test your knowledge with Rattus Rattus’s Roman Quiz.
How did Roman Legionaries live?
How to make a Roman mosaic
Rotten Romans Quiz with Rattus Rattus
How did the Romans Change Britain?
Curators' collections: hadrian's wall.
Explore objects from our collections at Hadrian's Wall to learn more about life on the Roman Empire's northernmost frontier.
Hear from one of our experts about how these objects can act as sources, offering us a window on the past, and discover a curator's role in making this happen.
Use objects from across the Wall at home or in the classroom to inspire cross-curricular learning and further your research.
More to Explore
Teaching Resources
Home Learning Help
Curators' Collections
Plan a Visit
Lessons and resources for primary history
Home > Romans > Romans Curriculum Ideas
Curriculum Ideas
Make Roman tile mosaics
Create a clay sculpture of a Roman emperor or a statue of a Roman god
Design a pop up Roman landmark (we like these pop-up Colosseums )
Make your own Roman coins
Explore ways of representing exploded volcanoes using paint techniques ( check out these for inspiration)
Use programming software to design an obstacle course for a Roman gladiator character
Make a stop-motion animation of the story of Boudica or Romulus & Remus
Create and edit a video of your own version of one of the many Roman story books available
Design & build a Roman aqueduct model that really carries water
Make a pair of Roman sandals that fit your feet
Make and evaluate a Roman catapult (you can find instructions here )
Make your own chocolate Roman road (check out our instructions pack )
Make maps to show the expansion of the Roman empire
Find out about how volcanoes are formed and where they are found
Compare the capital cities of Italy and the UK
Map out where Romans built roads in the UK
Make a tourist guide to Hadrian's Wall or another Roman site
Find out about how the Roman Empire expanded and how the Romans invaded Britain
Follow the KS2History scheme of work for Roman Britain
Create your own narrative based on Escape from Pompeii (see the KS2History Escape from Pompeii planning unit )
Write newspaper reports about an aspect of Roman life (check out The Roman Record for inspiration)
Write instructions for becoming a gladiator and making chocolate Roman roads (see the KS2History Romans Instructions Unit )
Create a diary from the point of view of a Celt during the time of the invasion.
Write book reviews for a book about the Romans (check out our book reviews to get you started).
Figure out Roman road routes around your school using only straight lines and right angles
Learn to count using Roman numerals
Try this BBC Romans shopping challenge and extend it with your own numbers
Investigate the areas of different Roman villas
Weigh out ingredients to make Roman bread. Work out how you would need to scale up the ingredients for a class feast
Explore beats and rhythms for the Roman army to march to
Research Roman musical instruments
Learn a song about the Romans ( like this one ) and perform it to an audience
Investigate the best materials for Roman helmets or shields
Make your own exploding volcanoes ( instructions can be found here ) and find out about the chemical reactions involved
Investigate different ways of cleaning old Roman coins. Try cola, vinegar, lemon juice or baking soda
Find out what kind of armour Roman soldiers wore to protect their bodies
Learn about our skeletons and how they are designed to act like armour for different organs
Useful Resources
A full planning unit for Year 3 and 4 covering the history topic Roman Britain.
A two-week unit of literacy work for lower KS2 based on the book 'Escape from Pompeii'.
- Create new account
- Reset your password
Register and get FREE resources and activities
Ready to unlock all our resources?
Roman Britain and the Roman Empire
What was the Roman Empire?
The ancient Romans were based in Rome in Italy, but they ruled over land that stretched far beyond the borders of Rome. This was called the Roman Empire , and it covered large parts of land all around the Mediterranean Sea – and even part of Great Britain.
The Romans got this land mostly by fighting battles with other groups of people, like the Celts in Britain – when the Romans won, they’d get more territory to add to the Empire. This meant that Roman culture had a huge influence on other cultures, and it’s why finding Roman artefacts (like coins), and ruins of Roman walls and buildings (like Hadrian’s Wall) is so common in the British Isles today.
Top 10 facts
- Rome was a republic before it became an empire – it was governed in a different way, and had rulers that were elected through votes.
- The Roman Empire began in 27 BC , and after that single emperors ruled, one after the other, until their deaths. The first emperor was Caesar Augustus.
- Rome had a mix of very good emperors, like Augustus, and very bad emperors, like Nero.
- The first 200 years of Roman Empire is called the Pax Romana, which means ‘Roman peace’. It was a time of great prosperity for the Romans.
- The Romans had already won a lot of land through battles when Rome was a Republic. One famous military commander was Julius Caesar .
- Roman armies were known for being excellent in battle – they used their weapons well, they worked well as a team and they nearly always defeated their enemies.
- The Romans invaded Britain and started ruling it in 43 AD.
- When the Romans were in Britain, they based themselves in London, which they called Londinium.
- The Romans left Britain in 410 AD because the armies were needed to defend other parts of the Empire. The Anglo-Saxons were the next people to rule England.
- The Roman Empire lasted for a long time. It split into two parts in 285 AD, with the Western Empire ending in 476 and the Eastern Empire being overthrown in 1453.
Roman Empire Timeline
- 753 BC Rome was founded
- 509 BC The Roman Republic was founded
- 264-241 BC The First Punic War took place between the Romans and Carthaginians
- 218-201 BC The Second Punic War took place between the Romans and Carthaginians
- 149-146 BC The Third Punic War took place between the Romans and Carthaginians
- 58-51 BC The Gallic Wars took place
- 44 BC Julius Caesar was killed
- 27 BC Caesar Augustus became the first Roman Emperor, which marked the start of the Roman Empire; the Pax Romana began
- 43 AD Britain was invaded again, and this time the Romans stayed.
- 64 AD A fire in Rome lasted for six days, which affected most of the city – it is known as the ‘Great Fire’
- 80 AD The Colosseum opened
- 83 AD The battle of Mons Graupius took place in northern Scotland
- 180 AD Emperor Marcus Aurelius died, Emperor Commodus came to power, and the Pax Romana ended
- 285 AD The Roman Empire was split into two parts – East and West
- 410 AD The Romans left Britain, ending their rule
- 476 AD The Western Empire was conquered
- 1453 The Eastern Empire was conquered
Start your child on a learning programme today!
- Maths & English resources delivered each week to your dashboard
- Follows the National Curriculum
- Keeps your child's learning on track
Did you know?
- The first Roman emperor, in 27 BC, was Caesar Augustus, Julius Caesar ’s adopted son. That’s why 27 BC marks the start of the Roman Empire.
- In the Roman Empire, coins were more than just money – they were ways for the emperor to tell the people about the great things they had done (or wanted people to think they had done). A coin could be minted that showed pictures of the emperor with their name or other words and symbols on it.
- The Romans invaded Britain in 43 AD. Julius Caesar had tried to conquer Britain a couple of times before – in 55 and 54 BC – but hadn’t been successful.
- The Romans decided they didn’t want to take over land as far north as Scotland, so they built a wall to separate England and Scotland and keep out the Celtic tribes who lived there. This is called Hadrian’s Wall because Hadrian was the Roman emperor at the time. You can still see the wall today.
- When the Romans arrived in Britain, they got to work straight away building roads and forts so they could transport soldiers around the country. They also built things that they would have used if they were still in Italy, like bath houses and villas.
- Britain was just a very small part of the Roman Empire. The Romans ruled land all around the Mediterranean Sea, including parts of northern Africa and around the Black Sea.
- Roman armies were very well trained and organised. They were hard to beat, which helped the Roman Empire expand so quickly and conquer more lands.
- Roman soldiers had to be at least 20 years old when they joined the army, and they had to stay in the army for 25 years. After that, they were rewarded well with some money or land that they could farm.
Roman Britain gallery
- Hadrian’s Wall
- The location of Hadrian’s Wall
- The Roman Baths in the city of Bath
- A statue of Caesar Augustus
- What Roman soldiers would have looked like
- A gold coin with Emperor Hadrian on it
- A modern-day re-enactment of a Roman chariot race
- Modern-day people recreating a Roman legion
- A Roman mosaic in the British Museum
Before it was ruled by emperors, Rome was a republic and ruled by the senate along with two consuls leading.
Roman emperors ruled for their entire lives, but their succession didn't work like kings in a monarchy – someone in their family wasn’t guaranteed to be the next emperor. The senate was still around even though Rome wasn’t really a republic anymore, and if they or the Roman military didn’t like the next person in line then they’d find someone else to be emperor instead.
The people running things in Britain when the Roman armies invaded in 43 AD were the Iron Age Celts. Determined to take over the lands Julius Caesar had tried to conquer almost a hundred years before, the Roman emperor Cladius began the conquest of Britain by landing on the southeast coast and gradually laying siege to more and more hillforts where the Britons, people who belonged to different Celtic tribes, lived.
Some Celts accepted the fact that the Romans were in the land they called Britannia to stay, but others still tried to fight to get them to leave. In 60 AD there was a significant uprising, led by Queen Boudica of the Iceni tribe in East Anglia. Although the Britons were initially successful and destroyed Colchester, the Roman capital, they were defeated in 61 AD.
The Romans advanced into Wales and Scotland under the command of a governor called Agricola, but withdrew from Scotland after his death in 84 AD. In 122 AD the Roman emperor Hadrian decided to build a frontier wall to keep the northern tribes from attacking and protect Roman Britain. Hadrian's Wall was the largest structure in the Roman emore and stretched for 75 miles (120km) across the north of England, between the rivers Tyne and Solway.The Wall marked the official border between the Roman empire and the tribes who lived in Caledonia (Scotland).
The key to the Romans' invasion of Britain was the strength of their army, the largest and most powerful military force of its day.
This is how Roman armies were divided up and organised:
- A Roman army consisted of 30 legions, with each legion having between 4,000 and 6,000 legionaries (certain kinds of solders) in it.
- A legion was commanded by a legate, and had 10 cohorts.
- A cohort had six troops.
- A troop had 80 legionaries, also called centuries.
- Centuries were led by a centurion.
Roman soldiers had different roles and responsibilities:
- Legionaries were paid the most and were the most highly trained.
- Auxiliaries were soldiers who weren’t Roman citizens; they weren’t paid as much as legionaries and did jobs like guarding forts or being in the front line of battle.
- Artillery soldiers were in charge of catapults, which could fire things into the air and over onto the enemy’s armies or buildings.
- The cavalry were soldiers who rode horses when they fought.
- The infantry were soldiers who marched on foot.
Soldiers fought with both their weapons (swords, spears and javelins) and with their shield, which was called a scutum. They’d hold up their scutum to defend themselves in battle, or they’d join with other soldiers to form one big shield if they wanted to advance. Soldiers on the inside of the group held their scutum up over their head, while the soldiers on the outside of the group held their scutum out to form a ring. This formation was called the testudo, which is the Latin word for tortoise. Nothing was going to get past that!
After Roman rule was established in Britain, the Roman army began to act as a peacekeeping force and the Romans brought their customs and culture to their new lands.
They built towns around England to help them govern it better and keep organised, which the Celts didn’t really have before. The largest one was London, which they called Londinium; by the end of the first century London had become one of the great cities of the Roman empire. Other large towns were Colchester, St. Albans and Aquae Sulis (now Bath).
Roman towns were all laid out in the same way – each had straight streets shaped in a grid pattern, with buildings like a public bath house, temple, aqueducts and an amphitheatre. They also had forums, which were big open squares where people could set up stalls to sell things. A lot of these features were in Rome, so having them in these new towns in England helped the Romans feel more at home.
Roads were also and important part of Roman life (have you ever heard the saying, "All roads lead to Rome!"?). Around 2000 miles (or 3200 km) of paved roads running between towns or cities were constructed in Britain by the Romans.
The Roman emperors were a mixed group of some good rulers, and some very bad rulers. But whether the emperors were good or bad, things worked out pretty well for the Roman Empire during its first 200 years – this was called the Pax Romana (‘Roman peace’) and was a time of great prosperity.
Eventually, the Roman Empire became too big to rule very well. In 285 AD, Emperor Diocletian split the Roman Empire in two halves, East and West. The Western Empire ended in 476, and the Eastern Empire carried on until 1453.
Britain was part of the Western Empire, but the Romans left it in 410 AD , well before the end of the Western Empire. This was because the soldiers and leaders who ruled Britain were needed to defend other parts of the Empire. All of the roads, buildings, coins, forts and other things that the Romans had created in Britain were left, which is why we can find so many things from the Roman period around England and Wales today.
Roman names to know:
Hannibal (247-183 BC) – Hannibal was a military leader from Carthage, who fought against the Romans in the Punic Wars. He is known for bringing an army of soldiers and elephants over the Pyrenees Mountains and the Alps into northern Italy, which at first was successful in fighting against Rome. The Roman military eventually worked out how to beat Hannibal’s army and won, but Hannibal’s tactics are still thought to be pretty impressive today.
Augustus (63 BC-14 AD) – Augustus was the first emperor of Rome. After Julius Caesar died, Augustus formed a new government with Marc Antony and Marcus Lepidus – a triumvirate. It fell apart about 10 years later though, with Augustus the only one left to rule. He worked out new laws that formed the Roman Empire, which was then governed by one person for their lifetime.
Claudius (10 BC-54 AD) – Claudius was the fourth Roman emperor. The invasion of Britain happened while he was Emperor, and he was responsible for building new roads and aqueducts across other parts of the Empire.
Nero (37-68 AD) – Nero became the Roman emperor after Claudius. He spent a lot of money building theatres and having athletic competitions, and he became pretty unpredictable. If he thought someone was threatening his power, he’d usually have them killed. He was emperor during the Great Fire of Rome, and some people thought he started it himself so he’d have room to build a new palace. Whether or not that’s true, the Roman senate became more and more frustrated with him and told him he was going to be arrested and put to death. Rather than have that happen, Nero killed himself.
Hadrian (76-138 AD) – Hadrian was the 14th Roman emperor, and ruled during a very successful time for Roman Britain. He is known for having a wall built along the border of England and Scotland (Hadrian’s Wall) and for rebuilding the Pantheon, a temple to the gods that the Romans believed in. He is also the third in a group of five emperors called ‘the Five Good Emperors’.
Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) – Marcus Aurelius was the last Roman emperor of the Pax Romana, and also the last of the ‘Five Good Emperors’. The Roman Empire expanded even further during his reign.
Constantine (272-337 AD) – Constantine the Great was proclaimed emperor in York. He was the first emperor who was also a Christian, and he tried to unify the Roman Empire again after it had been split into the East and West. He moved the capital from Rome to a new city which he called Byzantium, later called Constantinople after him. Today, it is called Istanbul, which is the largest city in Turkey.
Related Videos
Just for fun...
- Become the face of the emperor on your very own Roman coin in a virtual Roman coin hoard
- Decipher tablet writing, make Roman honey cake, complete Roman wordsearches and paint by Roman numerals on the Vindolanda Charitable Trust home learning website
- Make a delicious Roman burger from a 1500-year-old recipe
- Reading Roman numerals
- Build your own Roman mosaic online
- Dress up as a Roman god or goddess with a downloadable Roman gods dress-up kit
- Play a Roman numerals bingo game online
Best children's books about Roman Britain and the Roman Empire
Find out more about Roman Britain
- Watch BBC Bitesize animated videos about how the Romans conquered Britain , how the Romans conquered Scotland , life in Roman Britain , what life was like in the Roman army and how the Romans changed Britain
- See a children's diagram of the Roman Empire through time
- An introduction to Roman Britain (AD 43 to around 410)
- See a picture gallery of Hadrian’s Wall
- Learn about daily life in Roman Britain
- Understand how and why the Romans built a network of roads in Britain with a BBC Bitesize video
- Children's information about Roman baths and how they worked
- Find out about the food and drink brought to Britain by the Romans
- Read 30 fascinating facts about Hadrian's Wall
- Watch historian Bethany Hughes in BBC video clips about the history of the Roman Empire , public baths in Roman Britain and soldiers' lives in Roman Britain
- Get a slave's view of life in the Roman empire
- Read kids' fiction books set in Ancient Rome
- Understand why public bathing was such an important part of Roman life
- Get an overview of Roman Britain and life in Roman Britain by examining a variety of British Museum objects like coins, pots, stonework, statues and writing tablets
- Read about ingenious innovations the Romans brought to Britain
- Look at artefacts from the Arbeia Roman Fort , which once guarded the entrance to the River Tyne
- How Roman roads were built
- Fragments of ancient Roman waxed writing tablets have been found in London . The writing on them includes the first known reference to London and the earliest hand-written document found in Britain!
- Some Latin words are used when we speak English . Do you know what they mean?
- Explore life in Britain after 43AD with BBC Schools Radio's collection of KS2 audio clips about Roman Britain
- "Meet" a Roman merchant in Londinium and find out about how people from different parts of the Roman Empire travelled and traded with each other
See for yourself
- Check a map of Roman sites in Britain
- See the defensive wall that the Romans built in London and walk around the remains of the London Wall before visiting the Roman London gallery in the Museum of London ( download an activity pack before you go)
- A complete guide to the sites of Hadrian's Wall , a frontier that spanned 80 miles of Britain, from coast to coast
- Walk along part of Hadrian’s Wall , and see a Roman fort
- The largest Roman amphitheatre in Britain was in Chester
- Visit the Roman Britain and Roman Empire galleries in the British Museum in London
- Explore the Roman Baths in the city of Bath on Google Street View or visit the Roman Baths in person
- Ambleside Roman fort in Cumbria
- The Roman wall of St. Albans
- Colchester was one of the largest Roman towns in England
- Step into a reconstructed Roman forge and see a replica Roman water lifting machine at the Ancient Technology Outdoor Education Centre
- Arbeia Roman Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site which offers visitors full-scale Roman reconstructions
- Butser Ancient Farm features archaeological reconstructions of buildings from Roman times
Give your child a headstart
- FREE articles & expert information
- FREE resources & activities
- FREE homework help
| The Romans | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
IMAGES
COMMENTS
The Romans in Britain. 43 AD to 410 AD. The Romans came to Britain nearly 2000 years ago and changed our country. Even today, evidence of the Romans being here, can be seen in the ruins of Roman buildings, forts, roads, and baths can be found all over Britain. The Romans invaded other countries too. The Roman Empire covered much of Europe ...
Homework tasks The Romans. Subject: History. Age range: 7-11. Resource type: Worksheet/Activity. File previews. doc, 25.5 KB. I used this to cover topic homework for the term. There are a variety of research and creative tasks which children always seem to enjoy completing. Should be editable so you can adapt for your setting.
1. The modern calendar (12 months and 365 days) was created by the Romans. 2. Romans believed in gods and goddesses who ruled over different areas of life. They built temples for them and took offerings for them. They include Saturn (the god of wealth and time) and Venus (the goddess of love and beauty). 3.
The first Romans came from Rome, which was built next to the river Tiber in modern-day Italy. However, the Romans ruled countries across the globe - including Great Britain. This area was known as the Roman empire. The empire had a huge effect on the language, culture and history of countries in Europe, the Middle East and even Northern Africa.
Homework help with the history of Romans, the Roman Empire and places to visit in the UK where you can learn more about the Romans. Time: 750BC - 500AD How did the Romans begin? The legend says there were two twins called Romulus and Remus. When their uncle decided to have them killed they were put in a trough and into the River Tiber.
Pupils will learn about how and where the Roman Empire started, who the rulers of Rome were and what went on in the famous Colosseum in our National Geographic Kids' Romans primary resource sheet. The teaching resource can be used in study group tasks for understanding aspects of Roman life, as a printed handout for each pupil to review and ...
The Romans & Roman Empire History Lessons, Worksheets & Resources. Browse our online library of The Romans & Roman Empire lessons and resources. Aimed at students 11-14 years old (KS3) & 14-16 year old (GCSE). Great for home study or to use within the classroom environment. School History > Ancient World > Romans.
The ancient city of Rome was the center of one of the largest and most powerful empires the world has ever seen. The Roman Empire was based in what is now Italy . As the Roman Empire took over more land and peoples, its influence spread throughout western Europe and into all the lands around the Mediterranean Sea . The achievements of the ...
The ancient Romans lived in a city called Rome. Rome still exists today, and it is the capital of Italy. The Romans and their culture had a big impact on how we live our lives today, and gave us things like ways to get clean water, ways to build roads and even the basis of our language. Britain was part of the Roman Empire for amost 400 years ...
Primary Homework Help The Romans. by Mandy Barrow : Celts. Romans. Saxons. Vikings. Normans. Tudors. Victorians. WW ll. 500 BC . AD 43. 450. 793. 1066. 1485. 1837. 1939 ... Religion was an important part of Roman daily life. The Romans believed in many different gods and goddesses. If the gods were angry, terrible things could happen. To keep ...
Hints and Tips. Break it down - The Romans ruled Britain for around 350 years and during this period society, technology and daily life changed a lot: Britain was a very different place in 410 compared to AD 43.; Make it relevant - Get your students to do a local study, e.g. 'what the Romans did for us'. Bring the learning into their homes and local town to encourage greater engagement.
This overview is just what you need to get organised for the Romans unit in KS2 History!Split across a table into four distinct sessions, it lists learning objectives, starter questions, resources for input, and activities with several resources linked. These include differentiated comprehension sheets, worksheets, and teaching packs, adding plenty of variety to your lesson plan.Like all of ...
Maths. Figure out Roman road routes around your school using only straight lines and right angles. Learn to count using Roman numerals. Try this BBC Romans shopping challenge and extend it with your own numbers. Investigate the areas of different Roman villas. Weigh out ingredients to make Roman bread. Work out how you would need to scale up ...
Here's five more fun Roman facts: Romans used cobwebs to stop bleeding. The streets of ancient Rome were covered in graffiti. The Colosseum could be flooded to re-enact naval battles. Mouse brains were used as toothpaste by some Romans. Anyone who stood behind Julius Caesar would face the death penalty.
The Romans left Britain in 410 AD because the armies were needed to defend other parts of the Empire. The Anglo-Saxons were the next people to rule England. The Roman Empire lasted for a long time. It split into two parts in 285 AD, with the Western Empire ending in 476 and the Eastern Empire being overthrown in 1453.
This set of homework sheets provides children with an excellent opportunity to both consolidate and extend their learning about aspects of Roman history. As part of the unit of work, children will have examined the features of Roman towns and country villas and will now be able to learn more about Roman baths by reading the detailed information sheet. One of the homework activity sheets ...
Typically, the Romans ate three meals a day. Breakfast - ientaculum. The Romans ate a breakfast of bread or a wheat pancake eaten with dates and honey. Lunch - prandium. At midday they ate a light meal of fish, cold meat, bread and vegetables. Often the meal consisted of the leftovers of the previous day's cena. Dinner - cena - The main meal.
Explore more than 199 "Romans Year 3" resources for teachers, parents and pupils as well as related resources on "Year 3 Romans". Instant access to inspirational lesson plans, schemes of work, assessment, interactive activities, resource packs, PowerPoints, teaching ideas at Twinkl!