I've heard that the Romans' biggest battle was in Kent. Where Is it commemorated in some way

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A.� Thanks to Cynthia Dyke for the question. The answer is yes to both. The Battle of Kent is arguably the most important battle apart from Hastings. It lasted two days and the Roman legions, under the command of Aulus Plautius, defeated the British tribes on the west bank of the River Medway, south of Rochester.< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

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Q.� A precise location

A.� No - it cannot be pinpointed in the same way as the 1066 battle. However, that is where the monument is now placed - about half a mile from old Burham Church, on the opposite bank to a paper mill at Snodland.

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Q.� So what is the evidence

A.� Mainly an account of Aulus Plautius's campaign written about 70 years after the event by the historian Dio Cassius. He provides considerable detail, so it's likely that he drew upon contemporary campaign reports which are now lost.

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Q.� And what happened

A.� In the summer of 43 AD, an army under Aulus Plautius was ordered to conquer Britain by the Emperor Claudius. They landed in three parties and initially met no resistance because the Britons were not expecting them. They advanced nearly as far as Canterbury, where they encountered minor skirmishes from the forces of Caratacus and Togodumnus, sons of Cunobelinus. The Britons then withdrew to the far side of an unnamed river.

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Q.� Where

A.� It is not recorded. Some believe it might have been the Arun, near Chichester, but the historian Nigel Nicolson - who was responsible for the battle memorial - identified it as the Medway using evidence from excavations and studying possible Roman army routes.

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Q.� And what happened to the Britons

A.� The presumed - wrongly - that the Romans would not be able to follow them over the river. Aulus Plautius had under his command a cohort of Celts who had been trained to swim in armour. Once across, they immobilised the horses that drew the fearsome British chariots.

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Q.� How

A.� They hamstrung them - by cutting the tendon at the back of the knee.

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Q.� Then

A.� According to Dio Cassius, Aulus Platius then sent across Flavius Vespasianus (a future emperor) and his brother Sabius across the rover. Their forces killed many of the Britons in a surprise attack. The battle continued the next day and the Britons fled towards Essex. The conquest of southern Britain soon followed.

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By Steve Cunningham