- Chapter Thirty-Two -
But ninety-seven years were to elapse before conquest and the absorption of
Britain into the Roman Empire were to become an actuality and during this time the
British tribes of the south-east underwent considerable changes. They maintained
contact with their compatriots and became aware of the advantages and disadvan-
tages of becoming provincials under Rome. But the most important aspect which
Romans may not have fully appreciated was the link between the Gaulish druids and
Britain. Caesar had skilfully built up a programmed hostility towards these high
priests and arbiters in Rome, mainly, perhaps, as a diversion for his own dubious
practices. He was fully aware (VI.13) that they were the one and only unifying force
among the Celts and thus a powerful force to combat his drive towards division of
the tribes into friends or foes. The effect of this was that the Gaulish druids fled
from their country and united themselves with those of Britain (whence, Caesar tells
us, came the origins of druidism), where they began to instil a hatred of Rome in the
ruling tribal families and especially into the children whom they educated. But Rome
was always anxious to maintain a close contact with friendly client-rulers by flattery
and rich gifts from the classical world. Another policy, developed by Augustus,
was to require these rulers to send their children to Rome to be educated with the
imperial family (Braund 1984: 9-22). They were then, in effect, hostages but also they
became thoroughly romanized. An excellent British example of this policy was, most
probably, Cogidubnus, whose aspirations as a builder on the grand roman scale are
demonstrated by the Fishbourne palace and the Chichester inscription (Bogaers
1979: 243-5)·
Concerning the tribal affiliations and boundaries of the Catuvellauni and the
Trinovantes north of the Thames, the imported goods would seem to imply that
the former were the more favoured recipients. But the coin distribution provides
a more complicated pattern which has prompted van Arsdell to abandon any
attempt to separate them. He considers that the two tribes can only be seen 'as a
single economic group' (van Arsdell 1989: 319). There was a succession of rulers who
put their names on coins; the first to do so was Addedomarus and the distribution
of his coins spreads over what are assumed to be the areas of both tribes (ibid.: 494,
map 67), but there is no help with mint names. Those of a successor or possibly
contemporary, Dubnovellaunus, for a short time appear to be concentrated in
the Trinovantian area. There followed a more powerful ruler, Tasciovanus, who
controlled both tribes with mints at Camulodunum and Verulamium, as the names
CAM and VERO on the coins clearly demonstrate (ibid.: 365). Another point of
great interest is that some of the coins are modelled on Roman types. This can only
indicate a close link with Rome, possibly the better trade opportunities being now
officially recognized by the loan of Roman die-cutters with a range of coin types of
the Republic offered for choice by the rulers.
After a brief interregnum, the most powerful of all British kings, Cunobelinos,
took control. The coins were gradually improved in quality, but continued to copy
Roman types (now of Augustus), Cunobelinos now being designated as REX, the
Latin for king. His coinage was vast and is still in need of close study, but it must
indicate a considerable increase in trade with the Roman Empire. There is even a hint
of the introduction of a rudimentary currency, in the appearance of the strange potin
coins, which may have been intended as small change.