Londinium
Londinium 150-200 CE
- Possible reduction in size of city
- Areas once inhabited are now vacant
- Density of houses reduced
- Much of city buried under layer of dark earth
- Upper Walbrook valley
- Change in the economy
- Decline in imported luxury goods
- Decline in import of wine and oil
- Major changes in some local industries
- Few public buildings date from this time
- Basilica by the forum
- Badly damaged by the fire
- Promptly restored
- Possible new temple
- Newgate area
- Romano-Celtic style
- Set in a temenos
- Octagonal shape
- Tiled roof
Londinium 200-250 CE
- A building revival
- Number of new projects undertaken
- City walls
- Built on 3 sides only
- Landward sides
- Seawalls built later
- 3 km. long
- Enclosed 125 ha.
- Construction
- Ditch in front
- The wall
- Gates
- 5 at principal entrances
- Eastern: Aldgate
- Bishopgate
- Cripplegate into the fort
- Newgate
- Western wall: Ludgate
- Major undertaking
- Town could be walled only by imperial license
- Major economic investment
- Some pressing need for it
- Arch
- Fragments found in a wall
- Part of decorated arch
- Location uncertain
- 8 m high
- 7.5 m wide
- 1 m deep
- Decoration
- Standing goddess and hero
- Spandrels
- Sea monsters
- Busts of the seasons
- Frieze: busts of the gods
- Severan style
- Quays
- Enlarged earlier ones
- Added 9 m
- Waterfront now 50 m deep
- Extended some 640 m
- Timber construction
- Temple of Mithras
- Beside Walbrook stream
- Between main east-west roads
- Finds prove a temple dedicated to Mithras
- ca. 240s
- Plan
- Rectangular
- 8 x 18 m
- Entrance in the east
- Cella
- Nave
- 2 aisles
- Apse at back
- Water container
- Industrial Area
- Area of the Huggin-Hill baths
- Baths leveled
- Timber-and-clay building constructed
- Structures were industrial workshops
- Houses of the Rich
- New houses replace earlier ones
- Earlier ones clay-walled buildings
- New ones stone
- Usually much larger
- More luxurious
- Mosaic floors
- Hypocaust floors
- Private baths
- To date 43 mansion-like houses found
- Example
- Near Billingsgate
- Winged house with bath suite
- Northeast wing
- Context for this surge in building
- Quality of the walls
- Well constructed
- Not a hurried construction
- Function of walls
- Defensive, but not only or often major purpose for them
- Define the boundaries of a city
- Control access to the city
- Major building project would have economic impact on Londinium
- Revitalize the city
- Restore confidence in the city
- Encourage financial growth
- Provide security for investments
- Building projects indicate renewed imperial interest
in affairs of Britain
- Clodius Albinus
- Governor of Britain
- Made bid for imperial office in 196
- Defeated by Septimius Severus
- Septimius Severus
- Took interest in affairs of Britain
- Fought in Scotland 208-11