2 Client Monarchs - Carti, Cogi etc

Who are the three Client Monarchs of Britain that we know of?

* Cogidubnus
* Cartimandua
* Prasutagus

Which tribe did Cartimandua rule?

Brigantes

Which tribe did Prasutagus rule?

Iceni

Which tribe did Cogidubnus rule?

Atrebates

What sources are available on Cogidubnus?

* Tacitus *Agricola* 14 says that Cogidubnus ‘maintained his unswerving loyalty to our times’


* An inscription which dedicates a temple to Neptune and Minerva on the authority of Cogidubnus, which was found at Chichester

What is a source which is argued to be linked to Cogidubnus, but may not be?

Fishnourne Palace, near Chichester. However the evidence for it being linked to Cogidubnus is literally just that he is linked to Chichester by the temple inscription.

Was Cogidubnus’ relationship with the Romans always positive?

It seems that it was, from Tacitus’ brief mention of him. However due to lack of evidence we have little way to tell. The evidence that we do have points towards the relationship being very productive.

What sources do we have on Cartimandua?

* Tacitus Annals
* Tacitus Histories
* Tacitus Agricola

What do the sources say about Cartimandua?

Tacitus Annals details how after the defeat of the Silures in 51 AD, Caractacus fled to Cartimandua. However she was not merciful, and handed him over. He was then taken to Rome and had an audience with emperor Claudius himself. This was therefore very successful, and shows Cartimandua’s loyalty to the Romans, even over fellow Britons.

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Tacitus Annals then suggests that as a result of the decision to hand over Caratacus, a quarrel broke out between Cartimandua and her husband Venutius. This became a war, and Venutius’ hostile position towards the Romans was revealed. The Romans sent several cohorts to the aid of Cartimandua and the battle was successful.

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However things were not so positive in 69 AD, as fighting broke out again. Cartimandua requested aid from the Romans, however they could only manage to send auxilliaries, and they lost the battle, losing Brigantia. However they did manage to rescue Cartimandua, according to Tacitus Histories.

What issues with the system of client monarchy does Cartimnadua’s reign bring to light?

That the client treaty was with the monarch, not the tribe, so there was the possibility that a section of the tribe e.g. Venutius and allies was not in favour of Roman rule. This caused vulnerabilities.

What was the main success of Cartimandua’s monarchy in the eyes of the Romans?

The capture and handing over of Caratacus in 51 AD

What was do the sources say about Prasutagus?

According to Tacitus Annals, after his death, he left his territory equally to the emperor and his two daughters, under the impression that this would create submission and peace. However, this was not the case as the Romans ignored Prasutagus’ daughters claim to the Iceni and took the tribe for themselves. They even raped the girls and whipped Boudicca, Prasutagus’ wife. This was, according to Tacitus Annals, the cause of the Boudiccan rebellion.

What was the main issue with Prasutagus?

Again, the client treaty was with the individual monarch and not the whole tribe, so accession was very complicated and difficult. However, it does seem from Tacitus’ account that the Romans handled the shift of power very poorly, seemingly changing their policy towards the Iceni without properly communicating their wishes to them.