What have the Romans ever done for us?

Yesterday we visited the Roman Baths in Bath and it reminded me how much Britain lost when the legions left to fight barbarians in other bits of the Empire. Britain did not regain levels of comfort enjoyed during the Roman period until the twentieth century. That's 1500 years of catching up. The Romans had brick houses, running water and underfloor heating. When they left they took all their skills with them, including that of brick-making. I have always found it difficult to grasp that Vikings came AFTER the Romans and King Arthur came AFTER the Romans. I don't care what trendy people say about history, the fall of the Roman Empire ushered in a Dark Age. Imagine! No underfloor heating!

The large central bath in the Roman Baths. The water, gushing from deep in the earth, is very warm

If you would like to read more about Roman Britain and the fall of the Roman Empire, you can read Gibbon and then boast about your erudition or go for one of these more digestible books:

The Fall of Rome And the End of Civilization  by Bryan Ward-Perkins Under Another Sky: Journeys in Roman Britain by Charlotte Higgins I have read the first, but not the second yet. Here is a review of the second. When Gibbon (whom I haven't read) presented the second volume of  The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire to his patron, the Duke of Gloucester, his Grace remarked, “Another damn'd thick, square book! Always, scribble, scribble, scribble! Eh! Mr. Gibbon?" The day before yesterday we visited the British Museum and saw the Pompeii and Herculaneum exhibition. We are a bit exhibitioned out at the moment, so we didn't take up the offer of an audio-tour and I wandered around feeling inurred to novelty. Until of course I saw the statue of Pan having sex with a goat.  The Museum itself is something to behold. The Great Court, opened in 2000, lends a hallowed feel to the whole building.  The Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, designed by Foster and Partners

The Fall of Rome And the End of Civilization  by Bryan Ward-Perkins Under Another Sky: Journeys in Roman Britain by Charlotte Higgins I have read the first, but not the second yet. Here is a review of the second. When Gibbon (whom I haven't read) presented the second volume of  The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire to his patron, the Duke of Gloucester, his Grace remarked, “Another damn'd thick, square book! Always, scribble, scribble, scribble! Eh! Mr. Gibbon?" The day before yesterday we visited the British Museum and saw the Pompeii and Herculaneum exhibition. We are a bit exhibitioned out at the moment, so we didn't take up the offer of an audio-tour and I wandered around feeling inurred to novelty. Until of course I saw the statue of Pan having sex with a goat.  The Museum itself is something to behold. The Great Court, opened in 2000, lends a hallowed feel to the whole building.  The Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, designed by Foster and Partners

The Fall of Rome And the End of Civilization 
by Bryan Ward-Perkins

Under Another Sky: Journeys in Roman Britain

by Charlotte Higgins

I have read the first, but not the second yet. Here is a review of the second. When Gibbon (whom I haven't read) presented the second volume of  The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire to his patron, the Duke of Gloucester, his Grace remarked, “Another damn'd thick, square book! Always, scribble, scribble, scribble! Eh! Mr. Gibbon?"

The day before yesterday we visited the British Museum and saw the Pompeii and Herculaneum exhibition. We are a bit exhibitioned out at the moment, so we didn't take up the offer of an audio-tour and I wandered around feeling inurred to novelty. Until of course I saw the statue of Pan having sex with a goat. 

The Museum itself is something to behold. The Great Court, opened in 2000, lends a hallowed feel to the whole building. 

The Queen Elizabeth II Great Court, designed by Foster and Partners