Expert: Malcolm Speechley - 6/29/2010

Question
Hi Malcolm,

I heard a historian say that many Romans that settled in Britain were of African and Asian origins. Is that correct?

Answer
Hello Alex.

The Short answer to your question is Yes. This is True.

The Roman Army recruited it's soldiers from all parts of the Empire. Once these soldiers had joined the army they went to wherever they were ordered to go. For example, soldiers recruited in one of the African provinces or from the province of Arabia (Roughly Southern Syria and Lebanon and the Northern part of the Arabian Peninsular)could be, and often were, posted to Britain. Many of these soldiers often spent the whole of their service (25 Years) in the one province. Many of these were rewarded, at the end of this time, with land in the province where they were stationed,which encouraged them to settle. In addition to this after such a long time in a foreign province the soldiers often adopted local ways and also took their wives from among the natives.

This, of course, also worked the other way around. Soldiers recruited in Britain could also be sent to some far flung Eastern province. It is Highly likely that some people living in modern day Lebanon are descended from Roman soldiers recruited in Britain.

You may ask why not let the soldiers serve in the places where they were recruited?

The simple answer to this is that if a rebellion were to break out in any given province the soldiers might decide to fight on the side of their countrymen rather than for the Roman occupiers. It was much safer for Rome to send its armies to fight those who were foreign to them.

I hope this has proved useful.

Best Wishes.

Malcolm.