Catuvellauni

The Catuvellauni were the dominant power in south-eastern Britain on the eve of the Roman conquest, and their expansion is the reason the conquest happened when it did. Based north of the Thames around Verlamion, they spent the century after Caesar's raids absorbing their neighbours: under Tasciovanus and then Cunobelinus they took Camulodunum from the Trinovantes, made it their capital, minted a prolific gold coinage with Latin legends, and traded wine and luxury goods with the empire on a scale that made the aristocracy visibly wealthy. Cunobelinus ruled some forty years and Roman writers called him king of the Britons; Shakespeare knew him as Cymbeline. His death around 40 AD left the kingdom to his sons Togodumnus and Caratacus, who were more aggressive and less useful to Rome, and the expulsion of a pro-Roman client from a neighbouring kingdom gave Claudius the pretext he wanted for an invasion that would supply a triumph. The legions landed in 43 AD, beat the brothers at the Medway, and Togodumnus died. Caratacus fought on for eight years in Wales, was defeated, fled to the Brigantes and was handed over in chains - and then made a speech in Rome sufficiently impressive that Claudius pardoned him and let him live out his life there. Camulodunum became the first Roman colonia in Britain and was burned by Boudica seventeen years later. The Catuvellaunian civitas was administered from Verulamium, now St Albans. Their gold staters are among the most common Iron Age coins found in Britain. Cunobelinus's coins carry an ear of corn on one side and a horse on the other, and the legend CAMV for his capital. Caratacus's speech to Claudius is preserved in Tacitus and is one of the few places where a conquered Briton is given words of his own.

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