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When the Romans arrived, they changed worship forever
Our verdict on the latest nonfiction books, novels and films
Author Miranda Aldhouse-green Publisher Thames & Hudson Price £20 Released Out now
Part of the reason the Romans were so successful at keeping hold of new territories was through the adoption of their conquered cultures. When they took Egypt or Gaul – even the Etruscans in their own homeland of Italy – they took on some of their gods. Britain was no exception.
Roman Britain has been studied extensively – there’s a plethora of books on the subject and archaeological sites like Fishbourne and Hadrian’s Wall still fascinate people today – and now Miranda Aldhouse-green has added her name to the fray. But Sacred Britannia: The Gods And Rituals Of Roman Britain deserves its place in the fold.
Spanning from the very first Roman attempt to conquer Britannia by Julius Caesar to the fall of Rome, Sacred Britannia covers everything you could ever want to know about religion in the British Isles. Mystical druids, the different rituals in the city and the countryside, cursing others, the conversion to Christianity
– it’s all here in over 200 pages of crystal-clear writing. And if you can’t find what you’re looking for within the main body, perhaps the nine pages of extra notes and the sevenpage bibliography will help you out.
It’s also nice that some chapters are split into sections. The section on ‘Town and Country’, for example, is broken down by individual towns and cities. You can uncover how Cirencester (or Corinium) was different to rural Wanborough in Surrey and the archaeological finds in both places. Meanwhile, ‘Gut-gazers And God-users’ is split into small topics such as ‘A gut-gazer from Bath’ and ‘Healing and harming on holy ground’. (For those unaware of ancient divination, don’t be alarmed at ‘gut-gazing’ – it’s just a way of telling the future.)
Because of the amount of information packed into the book, the use of both illustrations and plates provides some welcome levity. Some of the illustrations seem more like page fillers, like one of Julius Caesar (don’t we all know what he looks like by now?), but others really help to boost our understanding. For instance, a map of southern Britain showing the pre-roman tribal boundaries is incredibly helpful in creating a visual image of the land before the Romans arrived. But the real beauty is in the plates. 16 pages divided into two groups of eight, they’re printed in full, glossy colour and they add some vibrancy to an otherwise black-and-white tome.
Perhaps best of all, you know you’re in good hands when it comes to Aldhouse-green. As previously mentioned, her writing style is very clear and it’s obvious that she enjoys the subject matter. You also know that you can trust her facts as she’s emeritus professor in the archaeology department at Cardiff University, as well as the author of three other books about Celts and Druids. It doesn’t hurt that she’s received a glowing review for Sacred Britannia from Dr Rowan Williams, former archbishop of Canterbury and master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. She uses her sources incredibly well and goes a step further to explain why some may not be so trustworthy. From the well-known Druids to the lesser-known Celtic gods, this is a book for any and all interested in
Roman British religion. You won’t be disappointed.
Sacred Britannia is well worth a read if you’re into Roman Britain and ancient religion.
“Perhaps best of all, you know you’re in good hands when it comes to Aldhousegreen”