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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National
Harriet Sherwood

British rebellion against Roman legions caused by drought, research finds

An artistic depiction of British tribes fighting Roman invaders.
The Roman occupation of parts of Britain ended in AD410. Photograph: North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy

A series of exceptionally dry summers that caused famine and social breakdown were behind one of the most severe threats to Roman rule of Britain, according to new academic research.

The rebellion, known as the “barbarian conspiracy”, was a pivotal moment in Roman Britain. Picts, Scotti and Saxons took advantage of Britain’s descent into anarchy to inflict crushing blows on weakened Roman defences in the spring and summer of AD367.

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