Roman Client Kingdoms In Britain
   HOME

TheInfoList



Click Here for Items Related To - Roman Client Kingdoms In Britain
OR:
Roman Client Kingdoms In Britain on:   [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Amazon]

The Roman client kingdoms in Britain were native tribes which chose to align themselves with the
Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
because they saw it as the best option for self-preservation or for protection from other hostile tribes. Alternatively, the Romans created (or enlisted) some client kingdoms when they felt influence without direct rule was desirable. Client kingdoms were ruled by client kings. In Latin these kings were referred to as ''rex sociusque et amicus'', which translates to "king, ally, and friend". The type of relationships between client kingdoms and Rome was reliant on the individual circumstances in each kingdom. The beginnings of the system are to be found in Caesar's re-enthroning of
Mandubracius Mandubracius or Mandubratius was a king of the Trinovantes of south-eastern Britain in the 1st century BC. History Mandubracius was the son of a Trinovantian king, named Imanuentius in some manuscripts of Julius Caesar's '' De Bello Gallico' ...
as king of the Trinovantes, who had been dethroned by Cassivellaunus and then aided Caesar's second invasion of Britain in 54 BC. The system further developed in the following hundred years, particularly under
Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...
's influence, so that by the time of the Roman invasion in 43 AD several Roman client kingdoms had become established in the south of Britain. Client kingdoms were annexed when Rome needed to reaffirm their power in Britain or when the client kings could not manage the kingdoms and surrounding areas any more. These were also partially due to the expansion of the
Catuvellauni The Catuvellauni (Common Brittonic: *''Catu-wellaunī'', "war-chiefs") were a Celtic tribe or state of southeastern Britain before the Roman conquest, attested by inscriptions into the 4th century. The fortunes of the Catuvellauni and thei ...
under
Cunobelinus Cunobeline or Cunobelin (Common Brittonic: *''Cunobelinos'', "Dog-Strong"), also known by his name's Latin form , was a king in pre-Roman Britain from about to about Malcolm Todd (2004)"Cunobelinus ymbeline/nowiki> (d. ''c''. AD 40), king in ...
in the southeast, and partly as a result of the invasion itself, and included Cogidubnus of the Regni">Cogidubnus">ymbeline/nowiki> (d. ''c''. AD 40), king in ...
in the southeast, and partly as a result of the invasion itself, and included Cogidubnus of the Regni, Prasutagus of the Iceni and Cartimandua of the
Brigantes The Brigantes were Ancient Britons who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of what would become Northern England. Their territory, often referred to as Brigantia, was centred in what was later known as Yorkshire. The Greek geog ...
and, probably, Boduocus of the Dobunni. The antecedents of the Regni, the Atrebates, had (in their Gallic and British forms) been client kingdoms of Rome since Caesar's first invasion in 55 BC. In the north of Britain, ongoing border struggles across the defensive walls led to the establishment of
buffer state A buffer state is a country geographically lying between two rival or potentially hostile great powers. Its existence can sometimes be thought to prevent conflict between them. A buffer state is sometimes a mutually agreed upon area lying between t ...
s, including the
Votadini The Votadini, also known as the ''Uotadini'', ''Wotādīni'', ''Votādīni'', or ''Otadini'' were a Celtic Britons, Brittonic people of the British Iron Age, Iron Age in Great Britain. Their territory was in what is now south-east Scotland and ...
in
Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...
.


Invasions of Britain and establishment of client kingdoms

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
invaded Britain in 55 BC. and 54 BC. His initial invasion was unsuccessful, and the Celtic tribes of Britain fought with more strength than expected. In 54 BC the invasion was considered a success but in Caesar's eyes the island yielded little reward and he left without leaving a garrison to watch over his latest conquest. Client kingdoms were initially established as auxiliary support for the Roman army under
Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...
in the expanding empire, but were reimagined as the way for Rome to achieve the power status of a unified empire. Each kingdom had their own systems in place to operate within the Roman model, most notably in relation to trading and defence; and they created a national identity aligned with Roman values. Evidence exists of rebellion against the empire among client kingdoms like the Catuvellauni and the Iceni tribes. The relationships between the different client kingdoms and Celtic tribes of the area were always changing as loyalties shifted between the indigenous populations and Roman invaders. The changing political relations with the Roman Empire and their conquest of Britain led to conflicts between tribes like the Atrebates and the Catuvellauni in 40 AD. There was also recorded conflicts between the Brigantes tribe and the Catuvellauni in 50 AD.


Client kingdoms


Client kingdoms of Southern Britain


Trinovantes and Catuvellauni

Client status: ''54 BC -c.39 AD''
Location: lands in south-East England In 54 BC,
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
set up
Mandubracius Mandubracius or Mandubratius was a king of the Trinovantes of south-eastern Britain in the 1st century BC. History Mandubracius was the son of a Trinovantian king, named Imanuentius in some manuscripts of Julius Caesar's '' De Bello Gallico' ...
of the Trinovantes as a client king and established the
Catuvellauni The Catuvellauni (Common Brittonic: *''Catu-wellaunī'', "war-chiefs") were a Celtic tribe or state of southeastern Britain before the Roman conquest, attested by inscriptions into the 4th century. The fortunes of the Catuvellauni and thei ...
as a tributary state of Rome. The centralization of the client kingdoms in southern Britain led to some resemblance of one British society ruled by the Catuvellauni. Coin evidence suggests that since 10 AD, both areas were ruled by
Cunobelinus Cunobeline or Cunobelin (Common Brittonic: *''Cunobelinos'', "Dog-Strong"), also known by his name's Latin form , was a king in pre-Roman Britain from about to about Malcolm Todd (2004)"Cunobelinus ymbeline/nowiki> (d. ''c''. AD 40), king in ...
until around 39-40 AD when after his death anti-Roman factions led by his son Caratacus had the most power. In 40 AD, Caratacus overthrew Verica of the Atrebates client kingdom, who was a known ally to the emperor, Claudius. Caratacus led anti-Roman forces against the Roman invasion in 43 AD. The next that was recorded of them was in 50 AD when Caratacus led forces against governor Publius Ostorius Scapula with tribes from Wales. This led to his defeat in 50 AD and search of refuge with the Brigantes, and ultimately a betrayal by Cartimandua in 51 AD. Following Caratacus' defeat, the lands belonging to the Catuvellauni were annexed, the settlement of Verulamium was given ''municipum'' status in 50 AD, and its settlers were given a level of citizenship with certain rights.


Atrebates, later Regni or Regnenses

Client status: ''55 BC-70s AD''
Location: ''Roughly modern-day
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...
and
West Sussex West Sussex is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Surrey to the north, East Sussex to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Hampshire to the west. The largest settlement is Cr ...
(capitals now Silchester and
Chichester Chichester ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in the Chichester District, Chichester district of West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher ...
)'' The Belgic Atrebates were led by a semi independent client king, Commius, in Gaul when Caesar left Britain after his first invasion. When Commius began to conspire against Rome, he was forced to flee to Britain in 54 BC. He named himself king of his people and ruled until approximately 20 BC. Commius was succeeded by three of his sons. First, Tincomarus, from 25/20 BC to 7/8 AD. He was more sympathetic to Rome than his father had been, and based on numismatic evidence styled himself ''rex'', implying client kingship status under the Empire. He was expelled in 7/8 AD, seeking refuge with the Romans. After Tincomarus,
Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...
chose to recognize his brother, Eppillus, as the next client king. After ruling jointly with Tincomarus, he apparently became sole ruler c.7 AD, and may have been the one who drove out Tincomarus. Eppillus was succeeded by another of Commius' sons,
Verica Verica (early 1st century AD) was a British client king of the Roman Empire in the years preceding the Claudian invasion of 43 AD. From his coinage, he appears to have been king of the probably Belgic Atrebates tribe and a son of Commius. T ...
, who reigned from Silchester. During his rule, the Atrebates were under pressure from the
Catuvellauni The Catuvellauni (Common Brittonic: *''Catu-wellaunī'', "war-chiefs") were a Celtic tribe or state of southeastern Britain before the Roman conquest, attested by inscriptions into the 4th century. The fortunes of the Catuvellauni and thei ...
to the east. Around 10 AD, Verica was dethroned by the brother of
Cunobelinus Cunobeline or Cunobelin (Common Brittonic: *''Cunobelinos'', "Dog-Strong"), also known by his name's Latin form , was a king in pre-Roman Britain from about to about Malcolm Todd (2004)"Cunobelinus ymbeline/nowiki> (d. ''c''. AD 40), king in ...
, Epaticcus. Verica did not regain control until 37 AD. Caratacus">Epaticcus">ymbeline/nowiki> (d. ''c''. AD 40), king in ...
, Epaticcus. Verica did not regain control until 37 AD. Caratacus, of the Catuvellauni, conquered the kingdom and Verica was driven out of Britain in roughly 40 AD. As a Roman ally, it has been argued that when Verica sought refuge in Rome, he helped convince Claudius to invade Britain. Following the Roman conquest, Cogidubnus, who was at some point given the Roman names ''Tiberius Claudius.'' Cogidubnus ruled the lands of the Atrebates and the Regni, taking the latter as the new name for all people who lived in the regions.


Iceni

Client status: ''c.47-60 AD''
Location: ''Roughly modern-day
Norfolk Norfolk ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in England, located in East Anglia and officially part of the East of England region. It borders Lincolnshire and The Wash to the north-west, the North Sea to the north and eas ...
'' The Iceni tribe were located in the south east region of Britain. The Iceni had a coin system in place before the Roman invasion, and these coins show evidence that a king named Antedios was in power through the Roman Invasion by Claudius in 43 AD. When the kingdom rebelled in 47 AD after an attempt to disarmour the Iceni, it is suggested he was removed from power by Rome and that Prasutagus was installed as king. Upon Parsutagus' death in 60 AD, he wanted to give half of the power to his daughters and the other half to the emperor. This went against Roman law which dictated the land of the Iceni would be annexed to the emperor,
Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...
. The Romans seized control and committed assault against Prasutagus' wife
Boudica Boudica or Boudicca (, from Brittonic languages, Brythonic * 'victory, win' + * 'having' suffix, i.e. 'Victorious Woman', known in Latin chronicles as Boadicea or Boudicea, and in Welsh language, Welsh as , ) was a queen of the Iceni, ancient ...
, and her daughters. These actions of the Romans ignited a long lasting revolt throughout multiple British client kingdoms, including the Iceni and Trinovantes kingdoms. This revolt led to the destruction of the '' municipums'' of Colchester, Londinium and Verulamium, which were all promptly rebuilt following the suppression of this revolt. The story of Boudica ends with mystery as there are conflicting stories of her death. The territory once ruled by Boudica and Prasutagus was considered part of the Roman province after Boudica's defeat.


Client kingdoms of Northern Britain


Brigantes

Main Articles:
Brigantes The Brigantes were Ancient Britons who in pre-Roman times controlled the largest section of what would become Northern England. Their territory, often referred to as Brigantia, was centred in what was later known as Yorkshire. The Greek geog ...
Client status: c. 46 AD- Location: Pennines of South Yorkshire to north of the Tyne. The Brigantes were given client status but were not considered a conquered Celtic tribe, despite accepting the Romans as the governing power. Notable rulers include Client king Venutius and Queen Cartimandua, who joined the ranks of power female leaders, a concept foreign to the Roman invaders. Cartimandua is known for her betrayal of Caratacus after his rebellion in 51 AD, by handing him over to the Roman army. This action caused unrest in the Brigantia areas of Britain, where the people were split between supporting Cartimandua and the Romans by extension, or supporting her husband Venutius and the British rebellion. Venutius went on to take control of the Brigantes tribe and lead his own rebellion against the Romans and his wife Cartimandua, his supporters eventually forcing Cartimandua out of her land in response to her betrayal of rebel Caratacus. This rebellion was defeated at an unknown date. Over the next century, relationships with the Brigantes tribe shifted and changed. Tensions and war broke out during the conquest of Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who was the governor of Roman Britain from 78 AD- 85 AD. Turmoil with the Brigantes tribe continued into the second century with the construction of
Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall (, also known as the ''Roman Wall'', Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Aelium'' in Latin) is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Roman Britain, Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Ru ...
and
Antonine Wall The Antonine Wall () was a turf fortification on stone foundations, built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth. Built some twenty years after Hadrian's Wall to the south ...
.


Votadini

Client status: ''c.140s-c.410 AD''
Location: ''Southeast
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
and northeast England, including modern-day
Northumberland Northumberland ( ) is a ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in North East England, on the Anglo-Scottish border, border with Scotland. It is bordered by the North Sea to the east, Tyne and Wear and County Durham to the south, Cumb ...
'' The
Votadini The Votadini, also known as the ''Uotadini'', ''Wotādīni'', ''Votādīni'', or ''Otadini'' were a Celtic Britons, Brittonic people of the British Iron Age, Iron Age in Great Britain. Their territory was in what is now south-east Scotland and ...
were a Brythonic people who lived under the direct rule of Rome between
Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall (, also known as the ''Roman Wall'', Picts' Wall, or ''Vallum Aelium'' in Latin) is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Roman Britain, Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian. Ru ...
and the
Antonine Wall The Antonine Wall () was a turf fortification on stone foundations, built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Clyde and the Firth of Forth. Built some twenty years after Hadrian's Wall to the south ...
from 138 to 162 AD. When the Romans withdrew behind Hadrian's Wall in 164 AD, they left the Votadini as a client kingdom, a buffer zone against the
Picts The Picts were a group of peoples in what is now Scotland north of the Firth of Forth, in the Scotland in the early Middle Ages, Early Middle Ages. Where they lived and details of their culture can be gleaned from early medieval texts and Pic ...
in the north. They maintained client status until the Romans pulled out of Britain in 410 AD. Through a series of linguistic changes, the Votadini became known as the
Gododdin The Gododdin () were a Brittonic people of north-eastern Britannia, the area known as the Hen Ogledd or Old North (modern south-east Scotland and north-east England), in the sub-Roman period. Descendants of the Votadini, they are best known ...
, and maintained a kingdom until their defeat by the Angles c.600 AD.


See also

* Iron Age tribes in Britain * Client kingdoms in ancient Rome


References

{{Reflist, 1


External links

* The History File
Kingdoms of Britain
* Scotland in the Roman era