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The year  54 BC saw the Romans organize a much larger expedition to Britain, with a total of  800 ships used to transport five legions and  2000 cavalry troops, plus horses and a large baggage train. They sailed from Boulogne at night on July  6, and landed unopposed the next day on the beach between Deal and Sandwich.

Upon seeing the large size of the Roman force, the Britons retreated inland to higher ground. But as the Roman scouting parties moved ever inward, they met the Britons in skirmish after skirmish. Despite determined resistance, Caesar was successful in subduing the British resistance.

Caesar was quick to make alliances with various tribe rulers. As these rulers would come to realize, this was not an alliance of equals; rather, Caesar extended Roman protection to these people as long as they “fit in” with the Roman way of life. 

As Caesar had learned of  mounting problems back in Gaul, and wanted to return there. The Roman legions left Britain in early September, 54 BC. They were not to return again for  97 years, when the Claudian invasion of AD  43 began the active Roman conquest of Britain.