Exploring Londinium: London's Ancient Roman Roots
Think of London, and you might think of Big Ben, big red buses — and its long, proud history as the UK's capital city.
But did you know that, for around 400 years, London was actually a Roman city?
The Romans founded London — then called Londinium — in AD 47, just four years after invading Britain in AD 43.
Londinium was built on the north side of the river Thames around an important bridge that crossed the river near the modern London Bridge. This location was chosen because the river was narrow enough here for the bridge, but also deep enough for ships.
Traders came to Londinium to buy and sell goods, and it became Britain's capital city, with residents coming from Britain, Italy, Spain and other parts of the empire. Probably most people spoke Latin, and like other Roman cities, it had impressive houses, theaters, temples and statues.
At its peak, Londinium had around 100,000 people. But it was abandoned when the Romans left Britain in the fifth century.
Although most of ancient Londinium is now underground, there are still some Roman remains you can see in a 3-square-kilometer area of modern London known as the City of London.
In a wall at 111 Cannon Street is the London Stone — possibly once a milestone that marked the center of Londinium.
At Tower Hill you can see part of the Roman wall that once surrounded the city.
On Saturdays between April and November, visitors can take guided tours of a Roman bathhouse that was discovered nearby in 1848.
An amphitheater — where gladiators once fought — is now a dining venue under the Guildhall Art Gallery.
And under the modern Bloomberg headquarters is the London Mithraeum. This third-century temple for the god Mithras was rediscovered during building work in 1954.
Here you can see over 600 ancient objects discovered with the temple, and entry is completely free.
Reconstruction drawing of Londinium, circa 120 AD.
