Britannia Prima
Encyclopedia
Britannia Prima was one of the provinces of Roman Britain
in existence by c. 312 AD. It was probably created as part of the administrative reforms of the Roman Emperor Diocletian
after the defeat of the usurper Allectus
by Constantius Chlorus
in 296 AD. In the 3rd century, the Romans created Britannia Superior to separate southern Britain from militarized northern Britain. A century later, this region was further divided into four distinct provinces, namely Britannia Prima (Wales
and the West Country
), Britannia Secunda, Flavia Caesariensis, and Maxima Caesariensis. Hence, Britannia Prima was part of the four regions which made up the Diocese of Britain.
that we can sketch the outline of Roman Britain. This document is the primary source of the changes and alterations made to the province of Britannia by the Roman government. The primary objective for the creation of new provinces was to improve the link between Britain and the near Continent, where the praetorian prefect had a main base at Trier
. Britannia Prima had two legions, the Second Augusta at Caerleon and the Twentieth at Chester. Of the four provinces in the Diocese of Britain, Britannia Prima was the largest, and it was generally focused on western England, with either Cirencester or Gloucester as the capital. The main reason to believe that Cirencester was the capital of Britannia Prima is an inscription from Cirensester itself, referring poetically to a rector or ruler of Britannia Prima by the name of L. Septimius. The governors of Britannia Prima were of equestrian rank, although few are known by name. The province is named in the Verona List and probably encompassed all of what is now south western England as well as Wales, stretching from Cornubia to North Wales and east to the Gloucester and Cirencester area.
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
in existence by c. 312 AD. It was probably created as part of the administrative reforms of the Roman Emperor Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
after the defeat of the usurper Allectus
Allectus
Allectus was a Roman usurper-emperor in Britain and northern Gaul from 293 to 296.-History:Allectus was treasurer to Carausius, a Menapian officer in the Roman navy who had seized power in Britain and northern Gaul in 286...
by Constantius Chlorus
Constantius Chlorus
Constantius I , commonly known as Constantius Chlorus, was Roman Emperor from 293 to 306. He was the father of Constantine the Great and founder of the Constantinian dynasty. As Caesar he defeated the usurper Allectus in Britain and campaigned extensively along the Rhine frontier, defeating the...
in 296 AD. In the 3rd century, the Romans created Britannia Superior to separate southern Britain from militarized northern Britain. A century later, this region was further divided into four distinct provinces, namely Britannia Prima (Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and the West Country
West Country
The West Country is an informal term for the area of south western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. It is often defined to encompass the historic counties of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset and the City of Bristol, while the counties of...
), Britannia Secunda, Flavia Caesariensis, and Maxima Caesariensis. Hence, Britannia Prima was part of the four regions which made up the Diocese of Britain.
Roman rule after the 3rd century
The Diocese of Britain was placed under the overall authority of the praetorian prefecture for the Gaullic region. Even though the late Roman civil administration of Britain is shadowy, it is only because of the survival of the Notitia DignitatumNotitia Dignitatum
The Notitia Dignitatum is a unique document of the Roman imperial chanceries. One of the very few surviving documents of Roman government, it details the administrative organisation of the eastern and western empires, listing several thousand offices from the imperial court down to the provincial...
that we can sketch the outline of Roman Britain. This document is the primary source of the changes and alterations made to the province of Britannia by the Roman government. The primary objective for the creation of new provinces was to improve the link between Britain and the near Continent, where the praetorian prefect had a main base at Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
. Britannia Prima had two legions, the Second Augusta at Caerleon and the Twentieth at Chester. Of the four provinces in the Diocese of Britain, Britannia Prima was the largest, and it was generally focused on western England, with either Cirencester or Gloucester as the capital. The main reason to believe that Cirencester was the capital of Britannia Prima is an inscription from Cirensester itself, referring poetically to a rector or ruler of Britannia Prima by the name of L. Septimius. The governors of Britannia Prima were of equestrian rank, although few are known by name. The province is named in the Verona List and probably encompassed all of what is now south western England as well as Wales, stretching from Cornubia to North Wales and east to the Gloucester and Cirencester area.