Rhodri ap Hywel (died 953 or 954) was a King of Deheubarth in

South Wales South Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the Historic counties of Wales, historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire ( ...

, and a son of

Hywel Dda Hywel ap Cadell, commonly known as Hywel Dda, which translates to Howel the Good in English, was a Welsh king who ruled the southern Welsh kingdom of Deheubarth and eventually came to rule most of Wales. He became the sole king of Seisyllw ...

, King of Deheubarth and

Gwynedd Gwynedd () is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The ci ...

, known for his codification of Welsh laws. John Davies (2007) ''A History of Wales'' (Penguin) accessed 30 April 2025 Rhodri came from a long line of intermarrying Welsh princely houses. His father Hywel Dda married Elen ferch Llywarch (d. 929), daughter of

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

Llywarch ap Hyfaidd of

Dyfed Dyfed () is a preserved county in southwestern Wales, covering the modern counties Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire. It is mostly rural area with a coastline on the Irish Sea and the Bristol Channel. Between 1974 and 1996, Dyfed w ...

(d. 904), and took over the kindgom of Deheubarth after the murder of her uncle Rhodri ap Hyfaidd in Arwystli in mid Wales (c. 905). This was thought to be an execution following a defeat in battle against Hywel, his father Cadell ap Rhodri, King of Seisyllwg (d. 909) or his uncle Anarawd ap Rhodri, King of Gwynedd (d.916). On Hywel Dda's death in 950,

Deheubarth Deheubarth (; , thus 'the South') was a regional name for the Welsh kingdoms, realms of south Wales, particularly as opposed to kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd (Latin: ''Venedotia''). It is now used as a shorthand for the various realms united under ...

was shared between Rhodri and his two brothers, Edwin ap Hywel Dda (sometimes referred to as Gwyn) (d. c. 954) and Owain ap Hywel Dda (d. c. 988). He may have had other brothers: Rhain (sometimes spelled Rhun) is considered definitive and there are suggestions of a Hywel Fychan, an Einion and a Dyfnwal (or Dyfnwallon) as well. The sons of Hywel had not been able to retain their hold of

, which was reclaimed for the traditional dynasty of

Aberffraw Aberffraw is a village and community (Wales), community on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. The village is 9 miles from the island's county town, Llangefni, and is on the west bank of the Afon Ffraw (Ffraw River). The com ...

by Iago ap Idwal and Ieuaf ap Idwal, the sons of Idwal Foel, who had been a first cousin to Hywel Dda. In 952 Iago and Ieuaf ap Idwal invaded the south, penetrating as far as

. The sons of Hywel Dda retaliated by invading the north in 954, reaching as far north as the Conwy valley before being defeated in a battle at

Llanrwst ; ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is on the east bank of the River Conwy and the A470 road, and lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county boundaries of Denbighshire (histori ...

and being obliged to retreat to

Ceredigion Ceredigion (), historically Cardiganshire (, ), is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the West Wales, west of Wales. It borders Gwynedd across the River Dyfi, Dyfi estuary to the north, Powys to the east, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire t ...

John Edward Lloyd Sir John Edward Lloyd (5 May 1861 – 20 June 1947) was a Welsh historian. Early life and eduction John Edward Lloyd was born in Liverpool on 5 May 1861. He was educated in the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth (which later become ...

(1911) ''A history of Wales from the earliest times to the Edwardian conquest'' (Longmans, Green & Co.) accessed 30 April 2025 Rhodri is thought to have died in either 953 or 954 and Edwin in 954, leaving Owain in sole possession of Deheubarth. , -

References

Monarchs of Deheubarth 10th-century Welsh monarchs 953 deaths House of Dinefwr Year of birth unknown {{authority control