British Tribes

Boudica’s Iceni were just one of dozens of multicultural tribes that inhabited Britain at the time of the Roman Conquest

Britain in the early 1st century CE did not consist of England, Wales and Scotland as we know it today. Instead, it comprised many Celtic tribes that numbered 27 at the very least. These were not even a homogenous group that were split on political lines. The tribes were also culturally, militarily and perhaps even religiously divided. Some had extensive links to the Roman Empire and kept up with cultural trends from abroad. Others were more isolated and clung to more traditional customs.

Geography largely determined how pro-roman or not a tribe could be at the time of the conquest with what is now southeast England having the most links to the empire. This suggests an early north-south divide, with some Britons in the far north successfully resisting the Romans while their southern counterparts often willingly assimilated. What is most fascinating is that the ‘Britons’ were actually a multicultural people, with some tribes being immigrants from Continental Europe. This proves that Britain has always been an island where different peoples have lived side by side for millennia.