01-05-2013, 12:29 AM
Hello Deryk
Probably because they were Roman citizens. The first job of a governor (or the second, perhaps, after taxation!) was to protect the lives and property of citizens. Paulinus had already lost Colchester through no fault of his own, but if he refused to protect citizen lives against barbarian attack it would have reflected very badly on his future career.
London was a small settlement but a wealthy one, probably with a large number of Roman and Romanised Gallic merchants and artisans with plenty of portable wealth, who may have lacked the means to easily flee to the continent.
Those who stayed in London after Paulinus left were the poor and those fixed on 'the attractions of the place', i.e. probably native non-citizen Britons who were born thereabouts.
Quote:why would he bother to take the refugees which would have slowed him down as they were not "professional travellers" and would have also eaten into his food and water supplies.
Probably because they were Roman citizens. The first job of a governor (or the second, perhaps, after taxation!) was to protect the lives and property of citizens. Paulinus had already lost Colchester through no fault of his own, but if he refused to protect citizen lives against barbarian attack it would have reflected very badly on his future career.
London was a small settlement but a wealthy one, probably with a large number of Roman and Romanised Gallic merchants and artisans with plenty of portable wealth, who may have lacked the means to easily flee to the continent.
Those who stayed in London after Paulinus left were the poor and those fixed on 'the attractions of the place', i.e. probably native non-citizen Britons who were born thereabouts.
Nathan Ross
