Druga kampania wojenna Juliusza Cezara - 54 p.n.e.

During the next few months, Caesar gathered a force of six hundred transports and twenty eight warships, with five legions and two thousand cavalry. Eventually, around eight hundred vessels set out for a second season in Britain, including the privateers that accompanied them. There were preliminary skirmishes on a river then at a hillfort, ending in Roman victories. More bad weather damaged the Roman vessels, though not on the scale of the previous year. The vessels were beached and a fortified camp built around them.

Cassivelaunus, leader of the Catuvellauni tribe, was by now the war leader of the British forces, but another encounter between the Britons and three whole legions did not go well for the natives. The next major encounter was on the River Thames, fordable at only one (unknown) location. This Roman victory forced Cassivelaunus to adopt guerilla tactics, keeping only a small force of four thousand charioteers, which harried Caesar's line of march into the Catuvellaunian homeland. It was now that Caesar chose to re-install Mandubracius, a Trinovantian prince who was probably exiled due to Catuvellaunian influence. With a potentially hostile force at his back, Cassivelaunus was forced to sue for peace. Caesar, trough the Gaulish Atrebatan noble, Commius, demanded further hostages, tribute and guarantees that the Catuvellauni would not attack the Trinovantes again. The deal probably included provisions for trade with the Romans.

Source: www.romans.etrusia.co.uk