HOUSES, DEFENCES AND STATUS; THE TOWNS OF ROMAN BRITAIN IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE SECOND CENTURY A.D.

Summary. The appearance of spacious and well-equipped houses in the towns of Roman Britain from the mid second century, following an initial period of resistance to urban dwelling on the part of the wealthy, requires explanation. Various possible motivating factors—the increasing prosperity of villa owners, the desire for security, official pressure coupled with renewed imperial interest in urban development, the availability of cheap building land, the example of the coloniae and the promotion of towns to higher rank—are considered. In many cases a combination of these factors will have applied, but the growing prestige of the towns themselves seems to have been a powerful attraction.