BattlefieldsPlautius Secures the Essex Heartland 43 AD
Roman Period

Plautius Secures the Essex Heartland 43 AD

43–44
Essex, England
Also known as: Roman advance through Trinovantian Essex · Claudian Essex consolidation
Era
Roman Period
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Essex, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Catuvellaunian garrisons in Essex
VS
Victor
Rome (Aulus Plautius)
Outcome
Essex heartland secured; Trinovantian territory incorporated; Roman road network begun toward Camulodunum
The Battle

History & Significance

After the fall of Camulodunum, Plautius despatched columns through Trinovantian and northern Catuvellaunian Essex. The Trinovantes, resentful of Catuvellaunian domination, cooperated; small-scale resistance was met where Catuvellaunian garrisons lingered in satellite oppida along the Colne, Chelmer, and Blackwater valleys. The early compliance of the Trinovantes was rapidly undermined by the seizure of their sacred land for the colony at Camulodunum, planting the seeds of Boudicca revolt sixteen years later.

Forces Involved

Detachments of Legio IX Hispana and auxiliary cohorts operating in fan formation northeast of Camulodunum

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Aubrey Research

Explore the landscape around Essex

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in Britain — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near Essex