Roman Rescue of Cartimandua
Who Fought
Roman cohorts of foot and horse, subsequently reinforced by Caesius Nasica with the IX Hispana legion,
Venutius and his allied forces including Brigantian rebels
History & Significance
Cartimandua or Cartismandua (reigned c. AD 43 – c. 69) was a 1st-century queen of the Brigantes, a Celtic people living in what is now northern England. She is known through the writings of Roman historian Tacitus.
She came to power during the time period that Rome was campaigning against Britain. She was widely influential during her reign. As ruler of the Brigantes, she united various British tribes that eventually surrendered their loyalty to Rome.
Cartimandua is portrayed notoriously in Tacitus's account of her. She is recorded betraying the chieftain Caratacus, insincerely offering him sanctuary, but instead turning him in to the Romans in exchange for wealth. She also is recorded as having divorced her consort and replacing him with a common military man. She subsequently was engaged in extended military conflict with her ex-consort as he staged revolts against her multiple times, and she eventually lost to him.
Although Cartimandua is first mentioned by Tacitus in AD 51, her rule over the Brigantes may already have been established when the Roman emperor Claudius began the organised conquest of Britain in 43: she may have been one of the eleven "kings" who Claudius's triumphal arch says surrendered without a fight. If not, she may have come to power after a revolt of a faction of the Brigantes was defeated by Publius Ostorius Scapula in 48.
Being of "illustrious birth", according to Tacitus, Cartimandua probably inherited her power, as she does not appear to have obtained it through marriage. She and her first husband, Venutius, are described by Tacitus as loyal to Rome and "defended by our [Roman] arms".
Her name may be a compound of the Common Celtic roots *carti- "chase, expel, send" and *mandu- "pony".
"She had later strengthened her power when she was credited with having captured King Caratacus by treachery and so furnished an adornment for the triumph of Claudius Caesar. From this came her wealth and the wanton spirit which success breeds."
Cartimandua later divorced Venutius, taking his armour-bearer, Vellocatus, as her consort. In 57, although Cartimandua had seized his brother and other relatives and held them hostage, Venutius made war against her and then against her Roman protectors. He built alliances outside the Brigantes, and during the governorship of Aulus Didius Gallus (52–57) he staged an invasion of the kingdom of the Brigantes. The Romans had anticipated this and sent some cohorts to defend their client queen. The fighting was inconclusive until Caesius Nasica arrived with a legion, the IX Hispana, and defeated the rebels. Cartimandua retained her throne thanks to prompt military support from Roman forces.
The ground they fought on
The site of Roman Rescue of Cartimandua lies on Millstone Grit Group [See Also Migr], bedrock that formed in the Namurian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.
Tacitus captures the precariousness of Cartimandua's position in his own words, recording that Venutius, calling in aid from outside and assisted by a revolt of the Brigantes themselves, put Cartimandua into an extremely dangerous position, and that some companies of Roman foot and horse, after meeting with indifferent success in a number of engagements, finally succeeded in rescuing the queen from danger only after Caesius Nasica arrived with the IX Hispana legion.
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