# Carausius declares an independent British empire (286)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/286-carausius-declares-an-independent-british-empire
Categories: main-event

Naval commander Carausius proclaimed himself emperor in Britain and parts of Gaul. Within the broader Roman Britain period, conquest, provincial administration, urbanization, frontier warfare and the gradual weakening of imperial rule reshaped the island. This event is placed at AD 286 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The breakaway regime revealed the island's strategic value and the Roman Empire's wider third-century instability.

## Why it matters
The breakaway regime revealed the island's strategic value and the Roman Empire's wider third-century instability.

Ruler at the time: [Roman Britain](https://english-history.com/rulers/roman-britain)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Carausius declares an independent British empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Carausius+declares+an+independent+British+empire&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Carausius declares an independent British empire](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Carausius+declares+an+independent+British+empire)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%28before_1000%29)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Roman Britain topic search](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Roman%20Britain)