Britain and the Romans: on-demand short course

Online self-guided short course for lifelong learners

This short course looks at the Roman arrival, settlement and legacy of the Roman presence in Britain. It also explores the writings by those who visited the island during that period and how the politics of Empire and leadership fed into wider Roman society. Closing talks will also look at the legacy of the Romans. The course is led by academic historians and archaeologists from around the UK.

How is the course structured? 

This self-guided short course is 100% online. The resources are structured but can be dipped into at any time, so you can work through them at your own pace and convenience. Through this unit you can access:

  • 8 recorded lectures by historical experts 
  • Access to our curated resource unit 
  • One recorded discussion session 

These materials were originally compiled and produced as part of our 2026 live short course on Britain and the Romans. 

If you're unable to access the course content below, please use the link for your Membership type:
Historian members | Primary members | Secondary members | Student members

This resource is FREE for Secondary HA Members.

Non HA Members can get instant access for £72.00

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Session recordings

  • Session 1: An introduction to Roman Britain and urban life in Britain
  • Session 2: The Roman Army in Britain
  • Session 3: ‘Blood of the Provinces’: The Auxilia of the Roman Army
  • Session 4: Discussion 1
  • Session 5: Mobility and society in Britannia
  • Session 6: Demetrius of Tarsus in Britain
  • Session 7: Tacitus Agricola: Imperialism and tyranny in Roman Britian and beyond
  • Session 8: Britain in the Later Roman Empire
  • Session 9: Boudica: facts, fictions and archaeology

Background reading and listening

  • Roman Britain: a brief history
  • HA podcast: Britain & Ireland 800 - 60 BCE
  • Teaching History article: Roman Emperors
  • Historian article: 'Veni, Vidi, Vici!'

Recommended reading and listening

  • HA podcast: Roman Imperial Society
  • HA classic pamphlet: Roman Britain
  • HA podcast: The fall of the western Roman Empire
  • HA podcast: The Origins and Structure of the Roman Republic
  • HA conference lecture: Life at the edge of the Roman Empire
  • Historian article: Sacred waters: Bath in the Roman Empire
  • HA article: Exploring diversity on Hadrian's Wall
  • HA article: Chichester's Roman walls
  • HA classic pamphlet: The Government of the Roman Empire
  • Historian article: The end of the Roman Empire
  • HA podcast: The Huns
  • HA podcast: The Goths
  • Historian article: Life in Verulamium
  • Sophisticated living in sub-Roman Britain
  • Historian article: Anything but enlightened: child slavery in the Roman world

Further reading and listening

  • HA podcast: Sources for the Roman Republic
  • HA podcast: The Origins and Structure of the Roman Republic
  • HA podcast: Challenges to the Roman Republic
  • HA podcast: The Fall of the Roman Republic
  • HA podcast: Latin Poets and their Role in Roman Society
  • HA filmed talk: Ravenna: Capital of Empire, Crucible of Europe
  • Primary History scheme of work: Roman Britain