The Trinovantes and Juluis Casesar

2946 Words6 Pages

The Trinovantes’ earliest interaction with Rome occurs during Julius Caesar’s British campaign in 55 B.C. During his campaign, Caesar’s protection is requested by Mandubracius, the young son of the deceased Trinovantian king, Imanuentius. In his account, Caesar brings the Trinovantes under his protection—only after they agree to his terms—and describes the tribe as “almost the most powerful state of those parts” (Caesar 5.20, De Bello Gallico). It can be inferred from this passage that the Trinovantes were in a less than ideal political situation at the time of their first interaction with Rome. This is presumably because they were without a king and were not the most powerful state in the region.
A tribe known as the Catuvellauni, based out of Hertfordshire, appears to be the most powerful state in the southeastern Britain at the time of Caesar’s conquest. This is likely because their king Cassivellaunus killed the Trinovantian king, Imanuentius, in battle. If the Trinovantes were a strong power in southeastern Britain, as described by Caesar, it would likely take an even more powerful state to defeat them in battle. Additionally, the Catuvellauni were known to be the neighbors and “traditional enemies” of the Trinovantes (Dunnett 8, The Trinovantes). Again, if the Trinovantes were almost the most powerful tribe in southeastern Britain, it is unlikely that the Catuvellauni were not the most powerful state, since they had defeated the Trinovantes in battle. Lastly, Caesar describes the Catuvellauni as his “principal opponent” (Caesar 5.20). This description is important because during Roman conquest, Rome often sought to first eliminate the most powerful tribe in a region, regardless of whether this was through brute force or di...

... middle of paper ...

...at oppidum at Camulodunum [flourished]” (Dunnett 30). One key reason for Cunobelin’s success that is seldom discussed was his ability to merge the Trinovantes and their long-time enemies, the Catuvellauni, under a single banner. There was probably an adjustment period of a few years, at least, and surely at least a few scrums. However, there is nothing in the historical record that suggests that Cunobelin was unsuccessful in bringing these two, most powerful tribes together under his kingdom. Cunobelin, unlike his predecessors, realized that in order to have stability in southeastern Britain the two tribes could not co-exist as separate entities. Thus by uniting the tribes, strengthening Camulodunum, and conquering other territories such as Kent, Cunobelin was able to create an expansive and powerful kingdom that was unrivaled by those whom had come before him.

Open Document