Beneath York Minster lies the basilica of the Roman fort of York (Eboracum), built around AD 100 (and rediscovered in the 1960s). The basilica was the heart of Roman administration and ceremony in York and was located at the centre of a fortress built in AD 71 during the reign of Emperor Vespasian. At this time, the 9th legion was stationed at York, tasked with subduing the north of Britain. Later, in around AD 120, the 6th legion replaced the 9th and started working on Hadrian’s Wall.
Constantine I, also known as Constantine the Great, was proclaimed emperor by his troops at York in AD 306, giving the city a strong distinction today in the history of western Christianity.
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