Guy de la Bedoyere

An innovative, informative, and entertaining history of Roman Britain told through the lives of individuals in all walks of life The Britain of the Roman Occupation is, in a way, an age that is dark to us. While the main events from 55 BC to AD 410 are little disputed, and the archaeological remains of villas, forts, walls, and cities explain a great deal, we lack a clear sense of individual lives. This book is the first to infuse the story of Britannia with a beating heart, the first to describe in detail who its inhabitants were and their place in our history. A lifelong specialist in Romano-British history, Guy de la Bédoyère is the first to recover the period exclusively as a human experience. He focuses not on military campaigns and imperial politics but on individual, personal stories. Roman Britain is revealed as a place where the ambitious scramble for power and prestige, the devout seek solace and security through religion, men and women eke out existences in a provincial frontier land. De la Bédoyère introduces Fortunata the slave girl, Emeritus the frustrated centurion, the grieving father Quintus Corellius Fortis, and the brilliant metal worker Boduogenus, among numerous others. Through a wide array of records and artifacts, the author introduces the colorful cast of immigrants who arrived during the Roman era while offering an unusual glimpse of indigenous Britons, until now nearly invisible in histories of Roman Britain.

This lively, authoritative account of a crucial period in Britain’s history has been revised and updated to incorporate the very latest findings and research. Guy de la Bédoyère – the popular face of Romano-British archaeological studies – puts the Roman conquest and occupation within the larger context of Romano-British society and how it functioned. With nearly 300 illustrations and dramatic aerial views of Roman sites, and brimming with the very latest research and discoveries, Roman Britain will delight and inform all those with an interest in this seminal epoch of British history.

Aimed at a student audience, this study introduces the archaeology of the three crucially important Roman towns of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Ostia. After an introduction to civic institutions and the make-up of Roman urban society, de la Bedoyere looks first at the main public buildings and monuments of the three towns, then at domestic architecture, and the ways in which it was used to project status and identity. A shorter section on death and prestige investigates the important cemeteries of Pompeii and Ostia, whilst a final chapter outlines the history of archaeology and conservation in the three towns. Throughout photographs and plans accompany the text, and an appendix contains translations of primary sources and inscriptions related to the sites.

Könige, Konsuln, Kaiser: Das Römische Reich sah viele Herrscher, mit eiserner Hand, mit Caesarenwahn und perfider Diplomatie schafften es die Römer über Jahrunderte die damals bekannte Welt zu kontrollieren. Was machte die Stärke der Römer aus, warum gingen sie unter und was ist von ihnen geblieben? Auf diese Fragen gibt Ihnen Guy de la Bédoyère in "Die Römer für Dummies" die Antworten und zeigt Ihnen eine Welt zwischen Sklavenbaracken und Nachtigallzungen, Gladiatoren und Stoa. Der Autor schildert Ihnen dieses Reich der Gegensätze lebendig,schillernd und distanziert, kompetent. So finden die Leser eine packende Darstellung und lesen über tausend Jahre als wäre es nur ein Tag.

Rome's power was under constant challenge. Nowhere was this truer than in Britain, Rome's remotest and most recalcitrant province. From the beginning to the end, a succession of idealists, chancers and reactionaries fomented dissent and rebellion. This book covers eleven rebellions and explains why Britain was a hot-bed of dissent.

"A must for anyone interested in the Roman Empire and its impact on world history."—Tony Robinson, star of Blackadder and Time Team This entertaining and informative guide is the perfect introduction to the amazing world of ancient Rome and its emperors, epic wars, awesome architecture, heroes, and villains. With a complete rundown of Roman history alongside fascinating insights into the lives of everyday Romans, you'll discover the amazing people and events involved in the rise and fall of one of the greatest of all ancient civilizations and how its influence is felt around the world today. If you've tuned into any of several TV shows focused on Rome and want to learn more about this fascinating part of history, The Romans For Dummies is the book for you. Schoolteachers and lecturers looking for light-hearted inspiration for lessons will also benefit from this riotous Roman adventure chronicling the rise and fall of the Empire. The Romans For Dummies is an accessible guide written in plain English giving you the fascinating facts of this ancient civilization. You'll learn about the following (and more): How Roman society was divided into classesThe assemblies that ruled RomeWhy villas were important to the RomansDetails about the Roman army, including a Roman soldier's equipmentThe wonder of Roman architecture, cities, roads, aqueducts, and sewersEverything you ever wanted to know about gladiators and then someThe importance of Roman temples, shrines, and the godsHow Rome became a republic, an empire, and then collapsed Additionally, you'll learn about turning points in Roman history, (mostly) good and (some) bad Romans, Rome’s greatest enemies, and great places to visit you won’t want to miss on your next Roman holiday. Grab a copy of The Romans For Dummies to discover this and so much more. Guy de la Bédoyère is a historian, archaeologist, and Roman expert, he is well known for his numerous books and appearances on TV, especially Channel 4's Time Team.

Evelyn was at the centre of English social and political life in the17c, friend of Charles II, member of Royal Society. The Diary of John Evelyn (1620-1706) is one of the principal literary sources for life and manners in the English seventeenth century. Evelyn was one of an influential group of men which included Wren, Pepys and Boyle; afounding member of the Royal Society, he was also a friend of Charles II, a Commissioner for sick seamen and prisoners of war during the Dutch Wars, a prime mover behind Chelsea and Greenwich Hospitals, and a prolific author who wrote about architecture, art, arboriculture, fashion, and pollution. In his Diary he recorded the events and experiences of his long and remarkable life; there are also extensive references to his family, including hispoignant recollections of the children who predeceased him. This edition has been based on the only comprehensive and accurate transcription, by E.S. de Beer, published by Oxford University Press in 1955, but the text hasbeen reworked into individual years and months while retaining the original spelling and grammar throughout. GUY DE LA BÉDOYERE holds degrees in history and archaeology from the Universities of Durham and London.

Roman archaeological sites in Britain produced huge quantities of pottery providing vast amounts of information about technology, trade, wealth, industry and lifestyle.

The Roman period was Britain's first great architectural age, though this is difficult to appreciate from the ruinous state of the sites that survive. Understanding the types and range of buildings that existed in Roman Britain depends on careful excavation of foundations and wall footings, together with fragments of windows, roofs and carved architectural decoration discovered among the debris. When this evidence is taken together with examples of better-preserved buildings that still exist in Europe, the Near East and North Africa, it is possible to recreate something of the architecture of Roman Britain. This book looks at how in a few years Britain witnessed the design and erection of an astonishing range of buildings, from mundane and functional houses through to exotic temples and ambitious civil engineering projects. Some of Britain's Roman architects turn out to have been innovators. Reconstruction drawings and paintings by the author bring these vanished buildings back to life and recreate a lost world of forts, basilicas, theatres, baths, arches, classical temples, villas and lighthouses.

An archaeologist and historian by training (who has recently qualified as a pilot), Guy de la B doy re realized the information that archaeology could bring to the study and recreation of all aspects of the air war--from the scarred masonry of St. Clement Danes, damaged in the London blitz, to the torn metal of an engine in a Kent Battle of Britain museum. Excavations of individual planes--a Spitfire, Hurricane, and Messerschmitt--are described in detail. The author also looks at other physical remains of the Battle of Britain and of the Blitz--the airfields, signs of war damage in city centers, and the evidence of civil defense.

This book places the remains of great houses such as Bignor and Chedworth and treasures like Thetford and Hoxne in their historical, literary and social context.'