How significant was the production of goods in Roman London's economy - Essay Example

With the conquest, however, in AD 43, a series of developments occurred which helped to make London a central place for trade and the production of goods. Firstly, the building of roads was crucial to development as they gave access in and out of London, and secondly, the building of a bridge over the Thames ensured the effectiveness of the new roads. As ships were passing up and down the river, the bridge also became an important “terminus” for traffic.1 There has been much historical debate about the initial purpose of London for the Romans; some have argued that its origins were purely military, while others have argued that it was set up purely as a commercial centre of civilian origins.

The available evidence does not make it entirely clear but a reference from Tacitus suggests that London was “teeming with merchants and a famous city of commerce.” Importantly, Merrifield highlights that Tactius use of the word negotiatores, instead of the commoner word mercatores, suggests that the merchants he referred to were engaged in financial and commercial transactions on a higher level.2 In these early years of the Roman occupation, Boudiccas revolt in AD 60 had important consequences for London.

The rebels were brutal in the treatment of London and its inhabitants. According to Bedoyere, this was the first great fire of London, so fierce it even melted bronze coins. Archaeologists have uncovered a “thick burnt layer deep under the ground” as testament to its severity. After the revolt, the Romans heavily fortified London, building a huge wall, almost two miles long. It was in the two decades after Boudicca that the commercialisation began. Bedoyere states that the Romans turned London into a “full-scale miniature Rome”, perhaps to restore their pride after the revolt.

They built a forum and a huge basilica in the heart of the