Origin And Development Of Lond Essay, Research Paper

Until the Roman invasion of London in AD 43, there were no significant permanent settlements on the site. Once the Romans came and built a bridge over the Thames River, the city began to prosper and grow. After the Romans, the Saxons inhabited London and from then on, for the most part, the city continuously flourished. However, many things happened in between to help get London off the ground.

The Romans troops, led by Aulus Plautius, were pushing their way through Britain, but were forced to stop at the Thames and build a bridge, the first London Bridge. After building the bridge over the river, this gave the Romans a start for networking a system of roads and making travel much easier and quicker throughout Britain. The Thames valley gave the Romans fertile soils, water, and timber to help the start of what was then called Londinium, a flourishing town and port. However, in AD 60, the first Londinium was destroyed by fire from the revolt of Boudicca and her tribe, the Iceni.

Soon after, the city was rebuilt and great expansion and development began again in Londinium. The port thrived after AD 60 and had great activity by the late first century. By AD 100, there was a street system laid out and many parts of the city were densely built up. Timber framed buildings were built around the large basilica and forum. Shops and commercial buildings were on the main road, while residential area and public baths developed branching off of it. Hygiene became very important with the building of the baths. Most baths had four main rooms: steam room, warm room, cold room, and cold plunge. People took in with them a strigil that was used to scrape off the dirt as they sweated it out in the hotter rooms. Even though the main purpose for them was hygiene, they were also used for exercise, relaxation and even sex. Around 120 an amphitheater and fort were built on the west end of town. The amphitheater provided entertainment and recreation for the people. There was animal baiting and gladiatorial combat, as well as stage plays, state ceremonies, and a training ground for the army.

The basilica and forum were the most important public buildings of the city, and were built on the highest ground of the city in 120 and 125, respectively. The basilica served as the town hall and law courts, and was the center of political business and local government. The forum consisted of three wings that connected to the basilica. It served at the business and economic center for the city, containing shops and offices. The central courtyard for the enclosed area provided an open market and assembly area. Looking at a map, it is easy to see that this area was a large part of the city and served as the main center. Records show that it was destroyed somewhere around 300.

The mid-second century was a very unstable period for Roman Britain, and Londinium underwent many major changes. Houses, workshops, and baths were demolished, and the city was not as prosperous nor were there as many people. A fire in 125 severely damaged the city, and it no longer thrived with population and commerce. The lack of archaeological evidence from the late second century gives the impression that population was declining and buildings were bring demolished, while the rural economy prospered around the area. However, according to the Roman authorities, it was still an important city for government purposes. In 200, Britain was divided into two separate provinces of which Londinium was capital of Upper Britain. They built a timber waterfront and city wall around 210. It enclosed about 330 acres and made Londinium the largest city in Britain. The wall itself served as a defensive barrier and prevented attackers from entering the city so easily. Even though a large part of the city was gone, the wall is evidence that it was still important as far as administration and politics. People began returning to the area and the city was being re-occupied during the mid-third century.

In 296, Diocletian reformed the government, defenses improved and became stronger, and the administrative role was restored. However, it was still not back to what it once was in earlier years. Even though Londinium became the location of Britain s imperial treasury in the late forth century, it was still shrinking in population and amount of trade and industry. Problems continued to increase and rebellions were becoming more frequent against the Roman authority. By the late fifth century, the Romans had pulled all authority out of Londinium. Even though they never re-established their power there, they left strong foundations for a city to come.

After around 400, Londinium was no longer an urban center and it became a ghost town since there was no one there to keep it going. Saxon settlers began moving into the English countryside from Northern Germany and Denmark. They developed farming communities and rural areas, but they did not occupy the city. By the end of the sixth century, the London area was East Saxon. It is believed that the first cathedral of St. Paul was built in the early seventh century, but this does not necessarily mean that London, as a city, was emerging again.

The period from 600-850 is considered Middle Saxon. London was referred to as Lundenwic because it was beginning to see trade again in the area, even though most of the trade was local agricultural products. With this increase of movement around the area, the history of the time becomes a little clearer. The city had four basic attractions at this time: a royal residence, a cathedral church, several private estates of high social status, and a street market of native and foreign traders. Life is beginning to pick up again for the city, but there still is not much evidence of settlements inside the city walls until the ninth century. Archaeologists have found the remains of wooden posts that suggest the remains of rectangular buildings. Also found near these buildings are the remains of pits, wells, furnaces, animal bones, oyster shells, and pottery. All of which were found outside the walls that perhaps the Saxons just did not need or like. During the late seventh century, Christianity also began to be restored to the area, although it was not really evident for another one hundred years. With this rising of the church, two very important Roman skills returned: writing and building in stone. Money also returned. Coins have been found dating as far back as 640. By the early ninth century, London was producing coins to trade with and an urban economy was slowly reappearing.

Viking raids began around 850 and they quickly took over London to make it their winter quarters. However, King Alfred, the most powerful of the Saxon kings, led the resistance to the Vikings by establishing walled in fortified towns called burghs throughout England. In 886, he moved London back inside its original walls, and it was now called Lundenburg, and many of the Saxon finds from the later ninth century onward come from within the walled area. Alfred put the city under the control of his son-in-law, the Mercian Ealdorman Aethelred. Resettlement began with new streets being laid out and a defense was built. Even though series of attacks came upon the city, each one proved victorious for London. Major developments were taking place in the city as new buildings and streets were built. Wooden houses with sunken floors or cellars were also going up for the people. Evidence shows that people were skilled metal workers as cloth, leather, and bonework were not only made, but decorated too. Trade began again and a new bridge was built along with many new quays along the river. Parish churches started to be built in this Late Saxon period, including Westminster. Edward was very influential in the building of Westminster and he also established a royal hall next to it. This gave the city two main areas: the industrial and economic center in the city and the center of politics and government at Westminster.

Continual urban renewal and increased trade led London to great growth as a popular trading port and market town by the eleventh century. By 1066, Edward had died and two men both claimed the throne: Harold of Wessex and William of Normandy. Harold was crowned king, but William successfully invaded, in order to win London at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. This would be the last time that London would be invaded and it would continue as a great and prosperous city from this time forth.

Bibliography

Clout, Hugh ed. The Times London History Atlas. Times Books, 1997.

Hall, Jenny and Ralph Merrifield. History of Roman London. London: HMSO, 1986.

Inwood, Stephen. A History of London. London: Mamillan Publishers Ltd, 1998.

Porter, Roy. London: A Social History. London: Hamish Hamiton, 1994.

Schofield, John. The Building of London: from the Conquest to the Great Fire.

Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 1999

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