- The Celtic Britons under Rome -
Cunobelinos was a great statesman who was able to maintain a balance between
the anti-and pro-Roman elements. He clearly saw the economic advantages of
trade and also that maintaining a friendly relationship to Rome strengthened him
politically. In AD 14-16 in the war against the Germans, some Roman soldiers were
shipwrecked on the shores of his kingdom and he promptly sent them back to Gaul.
Although his policy was opposed by the druids, they were forced to bide their
time and concentrated on their influence on the sons of the king, Caratacus and
Togodubnus. Their indoctrination was possible as they were responsible for the
children's education. Their father had managed to avoid having to send them to
Rome as he had presumably refused to become an actual client-king.
Cunobelinos must have exercised influence or even control over the neighbour-
ing tribes, especially those south of the Thames. The succession of rulers whose
names appear on coins offers a very confusing sequence of events. This applies
particularly to the Atrebates-Regni alliance. The native ruler from c. AD 10 was
Verica, who was deposed by Epaticcus, who claimed to be a son of Tasciovanus, thus
bringing thus tribes under the Trinovantian control. This would probably have been
the maximum extent of the influence of Cunobelinos. As the great king became
enfeebled c. AD 40, the northern part of the kingdom of Verica was invaded by
Epaticcus, whose Trinovantian origins appear on the coin-types he issued (van
Arsdell 1989: 179). He pushed south and forced Verica out: as an ally of Rome, Verica
fled there to seek help from Claudius for his restoration.
At this critical stage, Cunobelinos died and his great kingdom was inherited by
his two sons Togodubnus and Caratacus. The former was presumably the elder since
he held this homeland while his brother took over the Atrebatic/Regnian kingdom.
The two brothers were radically opposed to Rome and it is possible that they
ended the trading relationship with Rome which had been started by Caesar and
developed under their father. This came at the very beginning of the reign of
Claudius and he was faced with the loss of a lucrative trading partner and a client
kingdom demanding restoration. Claudius himself was in a delicate position as he
had been thrust into the purple by the praetorian guards. Meantime, the Senate had
overlooked his existence, had annulled all the Imperial acts, and declared a republic.
This august body was somewhat shocked when the praetorians marched into the
Senate with a reluctant Claudius and demanded that he should be the new emperor.
To Claudius, Britain would have been seen as a heaven-sent opportunity to divert
public attention from his precarious position and also to gain the support of his
frontier armies, thus reducing his dependence on the guards.
This was the background for the invasion of Britain in AD 43. In Britain there was
considerable support for Rome. The old alliances created by Caesar had collapsed,
although that with the Iceni probably survived, but for others Rome offered an
escape from the dominance of Cunobelinos. Those who had suffered most were the
Catuvellauni and the Atrebates/Regni but it would also appear that tribes on their
western and northern boundaries had felt the strong arm of the British ruler. Plautius
received supplication from the northern Dobunni on his arrival (Dannell 1977: 231).
Many tribes saw Rome as their salvation against their British oppressors: the
Catuvellauni in particular from the Trinovantes. They took the earliest opportunity
of an alliance with Rome. This is demonstrated by the favours they later received and