BattlefieldsBritish Expulsion of Roman Officials (410 AD)
Roman Period

British Expulsion of Roman Officials (410 AD)

410
Greater London, England
Also known as: Honorius Rescript 410 · End of Roman Britain
Era
Roman Period
Battle Type
Skirmish
Location
Greater London, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Roman administration
Forces
c. 100–500 Roman administrators and small garrison.
VS
Victor
British cities (self-governance)
Forces
c. 1,000–5,000 British city militia
Outcome
Roman officials expelled; Honorius's rescript told cities to look to their own defence; Roman Britain ended de facto
The Battle

History & Significance

In 409-410 AD, Zosimus records that the Britons expelled the Roman administrators and established self-governance. Emperor Honorius's famous rescript (if it refers to British cities and not Bruttium in Italy) told the civitates of Britain to look to their own defence. This is conventionally taken as the end of Roman Britain. The event was not the Roman army being defeated but the administrative and economic system of empire simply ceasing to function. Britain did not fall — it drifted away.

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