Celtic Kingdoms: Political History and Notable People

0s BCE - Cassivellaunus (All Facts)

• Leader of the Catuvellauni tribe

• He and his forces eventually held out against Julius Caesar and his Roman forces during their second invasion of Britain

0s BCE - Ambiorix (All Facts)

• Leader of the Eburones tribe 

• Led a revolt against Rome during the Gallic Wars in which he and his army 

  • destroyed one Roman camp and killed its troops

  • massacred a legion and a half of Romans

  • persuaded the Belgic Nervii to besiege another Roman camp in their territory

  • were brutally suppressed by Caesar, especially after he had received reinforcements following the massacre

• Considered a national hero of modern-day Belgium 

0s BCE - Celtillus (All Facts) 

• Leader of the Arverni tribe 

• Father of Vercingetorix 

80 BCE - 46 BCE - Vercingetorix (All Facts)

• Leader of the Arverni tribe

• He was declared supreme commander of the Gauls for the remainder of the Gallic Wars against Rome after the Battle of Bibracte in 58 BCE

• He led the Arverni in a revolt and defeated Julius Caesar and his Roman forces in the Battle of Gergovia in 52 BCE during the Gallic Wars

  • In this battle, some Romans defected to the Gauls

• He and his forces were eventually defeated by Julius Caesar and his Roman forces in the Battle of Alesia in 52 BCE during the Gallic Wars

• He eventually surrender in order to save his men and became Caesar’s prisoner

0s CE - 21 CE - Julius Sacrovir (All Facts)

• Leader of the Aedui tribe in Gaul in a revolt against the Romans in which he and his forces were eventually defeated by Gaius Silius and the Romans in 21 CE

  • He persuaded a number of Aedui to revolt after hearing of their grumbling about high taxation and the Roman ban on Druidism

  • He held a number of Gallic students hostage in Augustodunum to force their parents to join the revolt

  • He assembled a motley army of 40K men including some crupellarii (troops with heavy body armor)

• Committed suicide after his defeat at the hands of Gaius Silius and the Romans

0s CE - 21 CE - Julius Florus (All Facts)

• Leader of the Treveri tribe in Gaul in a revolt against the Romans in which he and his forces were eventually defeated by Gaius Silius and the Romans in 21 CE

  • He persuaded a number of Treveri to revolt after hearing of their grumbling about high taxation and the Roman ban on Druidism

  • He failed when the Treveri fell into disarray after murdering a few Roman traders

• Committed suicide after his defeat at the hands of Gaius Silius and the Romans

9 - 40 - Cunobelinus (All Facts)

• Leader of the Catuvellauni tribe (from Verulamium)

• Moved against the Essex tribe called the Trinovantes 

• Established a capital at Camulodunum (Colchester) 

• Conquered Kent 

0s - 50 - Caractacus (All Facts)

• Leader of the Catuvellauni tribe

• He and his forces resisted the Roman conquest of Britain

• He and his forces were eventually defeated after 8 years of fighting by Scapula and and his Roman forces

• He was eventually taken prisoner at Ludlow

• He had sought refuge with Cartimandua, Queen of the Yorkshire Birgantes, but she handed him over to the enemy

  • Most of his family was already in captivity

43 - 69 - Queen Cartimandua (All Facts) 

• Leader of the Brigantes tribe

• When Caractacus sought refuge under her, she handed him over to the Roman enemy

60 - 61 - Boudicca (All Facts) 

• Leader of the Iceni tribe

• She was supposedly tall and grim-faced in appearance with piercing eyes and a harsh voice

• She led the Iceni in her namesake revolt against Rome in 60 CE, in which they were ultimately defeated by Paulinus and his Roman forces