How was the capital of Britain originally called? The first name of London and the history of its origin

The largest city of Great Britain and the European Union - London - was founded in the first half of the 1st century AD. It has a long history, which is interesting also for understanding the processes taking place in modern Europe. For example, few know how the capital of Britain was originally called and how many people lived there by the year 400, as well as who inhabited it.

Foundation of the city

As the ancient legend says, the settlement on the site of the modern capital of Britain was originally called Troia Nova. The same legend calls it the founder of the descendant of Aeneas - Brutus of Troy, who lived in the 1100's BC. However, the researchers consider this version to be completely groundless. Thus, as the time of the founding of London, it is customary to refer to the period around the 43rd year of our era, and the founders - the Romans, who invaded the island under the leadership of Emperor Claudius. Initially it was a very small settlement occupying an area of 0.8 square meters. Km and equal to the territory of modern Hyde Park, and by the beginning of the 2nd century it had grown and turned into the capital of the Roman province of Britain. It is noteworthy that the overwhelming majority of inhabitants were from different parts of continental Europe.

As was originally called the capital of Britain

The first to study the origin of the word "London" was the famous pastor, Galfrid of Monmouth, who lived in the 12th century. In his work "The History of the Kings of Britain," he associated him with the name of the legendary ruler of Lud. However, those who want to learn how the capital of Britain was originally called , it is worth to get acquainted with the data received by scientists from the UK in 1998. So, the first settlement on the site of modern London was called Londinium, and the word most likely comes from the ancient Celtic word "Plowonida", consisting of two Indo-European roots "plew" and "nejd", which are translated as "current", "rowing" or "Swimming" and "flow". This word in the 1st century BC, the ancient Celts could designate a section of the Thames, located from the mouth to the ford below Westminster. In their language, it was first transformed into "Lundonjon", and then it became the Welsh "Lundein", from which the Romans borrowed it and began to pronounce it, like Londinium. There is also another explanation. In particular, some researchers believe that the name of the city came from the Latin word "Lond", meaning "wild place".

History of Londinium

18 years after the founding of the city, the city was attacked by the army of Queen and Isaen Boudilli, who after the death of her husband led the anti-Roman rebellion. The Governor of Britain Guy Suetonius Pauline, realizing that he will not have time to prepare for defense, chose to withdraw his troops. As a result, Londinium was burnt to the ground, and its inhabitants were killed. However, the first name of London did not disappear from the map of the Roman Empire, as the city was revived and by the end of the year 100 already was the capital of Britain. And its population reached 60 thousand people, which allowed it to be considered at that time a fairly large settlement in the Roman Empire, where basilica, public baths, an amphitheater and a fort were built, as well as a city garrison. After 100 years, Britain was divided into the Lower and Upper. The capital of the latter was Londinium.

Augustus

However, Londinium was not the only ancient name of London. The fact is that in the 4th century the Romans renamed it Augustus. So, when answering the question, how the capital of Britain was originally called, this name should also be indicated. However, shortly thereafter, the Romans were forced to leave these places. That is why such a completely Roman name did not take root, and its existence is known only to historians.

London in the 5th century

As is known, the Roman occupation of the British Isles ended in the year 410. Thus, if the first part of the question, as the capital of Britain was originally called and how many people lived there by the year 400, it is easy to answer, then from the second there are certain problems. After all, three decades before, the Picts and Scots had reached the walls of Londinium, but they were discarded, and for four years the city guarded only one legion. Thus, the wealthiest Romans, having relatives on the mainland, began to leave it, which led to a rapid decline in the population. Deserted the city began to inhabit the representatives of the Brit family, but they did not want to stay in it, and by the end of the 5th century, Londinium was finally emptied.

As was called London earlier (with the Anglo-Saxons)

Territory, located along the banks of the Thames, could not remain unoccupied for a long time. Therefore, it is not surprising that since the late 400th of our era Anglo-Saxons came to these lands. They did not grow Londinium, and they founded a new city. This happened in the 600s, and the correct answer to the question: "What was the original name of the capital of Britain under the Anglo-Saxons?", Will be Lundenvik. Already in the 8th century it became a major trading center and a port where ships from different countries arrived. By the way, experts in the field of linguistics note that the suffix "Vic" contained in the city name has a special meaning. The fact is that in Old English it meant "trading town". Another name - Lundenburg - appeared in 886-m year, when Alfred the Great took up the arrangement of the abandoned Londinium, rebuilt the Roman fortifications, built new ones and turned it into an impregnable fortress. Such constructions in the Anglo-Saxon language were called "burkh", and therefore the new name began to contain such a suffix. Lundenburg, which occupied the territory of today's City of London, very soon became the main city of the region, and the neighboring Lundenvik eventually turned into a small settlement, known today as Oldwich.

Now you know how the capital of Britain was originally called and how many people lived there in the first centuries after its foundation. Therefore, you can judge what a giant leap was made by London during the past 2000 years, for which it has turned from a small military fortification into one of the largest megacities on the planet.