ROMAN CHESTER
The core of the army were the infantry legion, who conquered territories and then established the garrison forts which covered an area of 30 to 100 acres . The early Roman fort of Deva ( fortress ) was built in 47 - 59 A.D. by the Second Legion Adiutrix providing a base for the garrison, being significantly improved by the arrival of the Twentieth Legion Valeria Victrix in A.D. 71 (a legion comprised of approximately 5,500 men in total ) .
A primary concern of the governors of Britain was one of defense : there were three main legionary fortresses, one at Chester, one at Caerleon in South Wales another at York, together with a very large number of auxiliary units, occupied in containing the tribesmen . They used a network of forts and patrolled the roads, there was also the town walls, these were not a general response to a particular crisis, express permission was required from the emperor, the walls were a first rate form of defense, there original construction was as a timber and earth rampart.
Julius Agricola assimilation was carried on by his successors, the cites and towns were an obvious target for tribes and war parties. Deva became an important center in the Roman occupation of Britain, nowadays the landscape has greatly changed and been built up that it is not easy to appreciate the advantages of the site ; but to the Roman Army they would have been very obvious. Most important was the River Dee which at that time was still navigable right up to the sandstone ridge on which the fortress was constructed . This provided a superb harbour, it was also the lowest crossing point of the river .
From the beginning of the occupation of the site of Chester, by the Roman Army, the legion had what was called the ' prata ' or pasture or the ' territorium ' a large piece of land that was set aside for the provision under direct military rule, of pasture and fodder for the large number of animals kept by the legion. The Army also had settlements referred to as the ' canabae ' which loosely translated, means the hutment's, extra mural settlement which were under direct military supervision .
The soldiers lived in barrack blocks, which were heated, they were a large part of the area of the fortress (Still in situ under the Forum redevelopment site). Each of the barrack blocks housed 80 (1 century) men, and was divided into ten rooms. (A drawing from a tombstone at Colchester Museum )
The coaching stations of the imperial post, the amphitheater staff, customs officers, would have probably been retired soldiers. These would have cornered small parts of the market in all sorts of commodities and amenities. There would also have been the men involved in the harbour facilities, warehouses, bath houses and local quarries
A strong native element, were able to make a living from providing the Roman Soldiers with commodities and various services. The population of Roman Britain remained overwhelmingly Celtic, a rural community existed in small villages, largely descended from the local tribesmen, to some extent making a living from the markets now provided by the soldiers . Traders & craftsmen would have also been attracted from the known world by the presence of soldiers with money to spend.
Romano - British towns
In the early third century, the Emperor Septimius Severus made it possible for serving soldiers to be legally married shortly afterwards Severus son Caracalla gave the right of citizenship to all freeborn people in the Empire . As time passed Veterans of the legions, after their term of service, began to retire the garrison canabae increased in size and became part of a large autonomous civilian establishment. These are reasons why the town outside the fortress grew to cover an area equal to the size of the City of Chester in the eighteenth century, with the legion there was a probable population of a several thousand people.
The Roman army recruited from the provinces in which units were stationed, Britons would have joined, eventually becoming citizens of Rome and part of the town that was to emerge. It is generally agreed that Christianity had little hold in Britain before the fourth century. Early Roman Britain was a religious kaleidoscope, ranging from the rites of the Roman State Jupiter, Juno and Minerva ( the shrine to the Goddess of Wisdom is visible today as part of public park Edgars Field Handbridge ) to those of the people from Greece and the Netherlands involved with the Romans who had retained their favorite practices. The Persian cult of Mithras gained a powerful hold in military and commercial circles, Celtic and Roman deities also became assimilated, eventually however Christianity was adopted as the state religion .
Cleanliness was important water was constantly used distributed by lead wooden or clay pipes, there was also an underground sewer system, every town had its bath complex, where sauna, and massage were enjoyed with a mix of social gossip and gambling .Most people lived in colonnaded terraces of simple wooden houses, they were conected by excellent roads, enabling the legions to move swiftly from place to place.
Via Principalis - (Watergate & Eastgate Street) Via Decumana - (Northgate Street) Via Praetoria - (Bridge Street)
Features of the buildings were central heating (The hypocaust was a form of wood, coal - hot air heating system, remains are visible at 38 Bridge Street) glazing, tessellated floors and often one or more bath suites
Mosaic Floor remains - visable at - 18, St. Michael's Row. Preserved in the basement of this shop are a small section of black and white mosaic
Chester's Ampitheatre
Half of the Ampitheatre (Ludus) has been excavated and is visible to site seers it measured approximately 334 feet by 278 feet. Its principal objective was for the training and exercises of the soldiers, but would have also been the arena for festivals and gladiatorial spectacles, these would have included executions and criminals being thrown to animals .
It was able to accommodate the needs of the soldiers and a large civilian population of 7,000 - 8,000 people.
Again the original construction was of wood, but replaced in stone, the outer wall reached a height of 35 ft. with
rows of seats up to that height . A tile was found in Chester at the market place in front of the Forum which was
in the Possession of a Mr. Potts . It represents a RETIARIUS,
the net and trident can clearly be seen the other drawings are similar examples of the contests at the amphitheaters
Roman Strong Room -
View from a window the Roman strong
room, this is where the soldiers pay and valuables were kept. It was underneath the shrine at the back of the Principia,
or headquarters building, which fronted the Via Principalis. access is through Hamilton Place, off Northgate Street,
at the south end of the market. It was found during excavations for the building of the Forum Precinct .
Column Bases and Shafts - 23 Northgate Row. & 35. Watergate Street .
Roman Gardens -
A number of pillar bases have been
set up in gardens outside the wall, just south of the Newgate. These have been collected over the years from various
sites in the city and are not in their original positions. There is also a reconstruction of a hypocaust, an underground
heating system comprising of an underground furnace which provided a hot air circulation system under the floors
and also heated the large internal bath building in the St. Michael's Row area 39, Bridge Street and 12, Northgate
Street offer remains in situ .
The Forum
The towns were dominated by the forum, a large colonnaded courtyard, often ornamented with statues and other works of art it served as the market place and the place of public assembly, the forum was capable of accommodating a large number of people. It was also the official centre of public and corporate life , and was usually surrounded by the chief public buildings, The Basilica is where the tribunes sat and dispensed justice, confiscation, flogging, hard labour in the quarries, or execution
Here in the Forum , along with merchandise, slaves were exposed for sale . This barbarous traffic was also carried on by the Saxons . This was a mart of slaves particularly young women, whom they took care to provide with a pregnancy, in order to enhance their value . It was a most moving sight to see, in the public markets, rows of young people of both sexes, tied together with ropes, of great beauty, and in the flower of their youth, daily prostituted, daily sold .
Romans Depart Chester
406 A.D. The 20th Legion quit Deva it then reverted to the Britons and then came silence of the condition of Chester, we are practically in ignorance, whether there was any continuity of occupation, whether the City was deserted, or what manner of occupation it may have had, these are a matter of conjecture
