Lunchtime Lecture - ‘Carausius: the usurper’
Part of our 'Imperial Lives' Lunchtime Lecture series. Hear about the life of the Roman usurper Carausius
The history of the Roman Empire in the 3rd Century is a complex one, with many men siezing the Imperial throne, only to lose it shortly afterwards at the sword of another claimant. The Empire became fragmented, with the northwestern provinces claiming their independence between AD260 and AD274. In AD286 the commander of the British fleet, Carausius, proclaimed himself Emperor of a new British Empire. This lecture will explore the life of Carausius, the accusations of theft and piracy levelled against him, how he portrayed himself as the most Roman of all Emperors, and how he eventually fell to a traitor and Britain was reclaimed by Rome.
This lecture will be delivered by our Collections Access Officer (archaeology). The lecture begins at 12.30 and will last approximately 30 minutes, in The Collection's auditorium, and is FREE. There is no need to book in advance.
This lecture is part of a series of six Lunchtime Lectures entitled 'Imperial Lives: Six Roman Emperors with British connections'. The other lectures in the series are:
15 August 2014 - 'Claudius: the idiot'
12 September 2014 - 'Domitian: the tyrant'
10 October 2014 - 'Hadrian: the traveller'
14 November 2014 - 'Septimius Severus: the popular dictator'