Roman Withdrawal from Britain

Timeline

1. 406–410Gaul · GaulIn 406 CE the Rhine legions mutinied and barbarian peoples invaded Gaul; the western frontier defenses collapsed, Rome could no longer send reinforcements to Britain, and the defense of the province hung in the balance.
2. 410Britain · BritainAccording to Zosimus's New History, Emperor Honorius wrote to the cities of Britain ordering them to organize their own defense, marking the formal abandonment by the Roman central government of its direct military obligations to Britain.
3. 410–450Britain · BritainRoman legions and administrative personnel gradually withdrew from Britain, the town defense systems declined, and Britain broke away from imperial rule; local elites and populations, facing barbarian and pirate threats, sought new political arrangements.