Roman London - Status of Londinium

Status of Londinium

The status of Londinium is uncertain. It was not the capital of a civitas, though Ptolemy lists it as one of the cities of the Cantiaci. Starting as a small fort guarding the northern end of the new bridge across the River Thames, it grew to become an important port for trade between Britain and the Roman provinces on the continent. The lack of private Roman villas (plentiful elsewhere) suggests military or even Imperial ownership. At the time of the uprising of Boudica, Tacitus writes that "Londinium ... though undistinguished by the name of a colonia, was much frequented by a number of merchants and trading vessels." In the years after the uprising, the provincial administration of Britain moved from Camulodunum (modern Colchester in Essex) to Londinium. The time of the move is not recorded, though 2nd century roofing tiles have been found marked P.PR.BR.LON – "The provincial procurator of Britain, at Londinium". Londinium is not recorded as being called the 'capital city' of Britain, but there are several strong indications for this proposition, such as the building of a Roman Governor's palace, the building of a military camp at the beginning of the 2nd century and several tombstones belonging to members of a governor's staff. It has been assumed that the city became a colonia, as the early 4th century Verona List describes a bishop Adelphius as Adelphius episcopus de civitate colonia Londiniensium. In the 4th century, the name of Londinium was changed to Augusta.