Many of Britain's towns and cities originated in the Roman period, established as part of a systematic programme to urbanise the island. Why imperial Rome initiated this programme is the first of many topics examined in the third edition of this popular introduction to the towns of Roman Britain. Written for the interested amateur and undergraduate student, this book assumes no specialist knowledge of the subject: instead, it explains the terminology and concepts to be found in other more detailed works, especially those concerned with how Roman towns were organised and administered. The principal purpose of the book, however, is to explain how the towns of Roman Britain appeared and functioned, and what happened to them during the four centuries of Roman rule.