Chapter Ten
Three years earlier in AD 40, Adminius, brother to Togodumnus and Caratacus had been exiled to Gaul after exceeding his power by attacking the tribes in the far southern territories. The Catuvellauni lands were already accepted as one of the most powerful tribal regions second only in size to the Brigantes in the north. Despite this Adminius, hungry to be recognised amongst his siblings, sought his own power base and encroached across the border and began raiding the people and settlements of the Cantiaci.
Togodumnus being the eldest brother, saw this as a direct threat to his own authority as his sibling tried to expand his own influence. Action had to be taken and Adminius was stripped of all rank and power and finally exiled to Gaul with a few followers.
The remaining brothers thought they had seen the last of their ambitious sibling. However, he sought the sanctuary of the Emperor Claudius, who whilst genuinely sympathetic towards the young Briton, also recognised that there was an opportunity for him as well, whilst swearing vengeance against the grave insult to the son of a former ally.
After the initial forays into Britain by Caesar, all of those concerned had prospered. Trade routes had been set up where exchanges were made involving, gold, silver, tin, food, slaves and even technologies for items such as looms and weaving machines to manufacture cloth.
The trade allowed the Britons although not backward, to advance suddenly at a rate that they would have found difficult naturally without the influence from Rome. Trade where bartering was commonplace before using animals or weapons was now possible using coins that even began to bear the head of the Catuvellauni leadership. Coins that were originally minted in Rome were now produced in Britain, a sure sign that the times were changing.
Not all tribes were loyal to Rome however and many already saw the interlopers as people who were intent on taking anything that they could get their hands on for their own benefit after sharing some of their wealth. Disputes were an everyday part of life as some argued for what the Romans brought to their land to improve their way of life whilst some saw those chieftains who traded with them as traitors, especially by those who didn’t trade or see any benefit from it. Consequently, those who were exiled for whatever reason sought assistance from Rome who at times played the part of a disciplining parent, sorting out quarrels as if from arguing children. Some of those exiled however, didn’t always tell the truth and were prone to exaggerate their claims in order to try and gain favour and for Rome to come down hard on their foes.
Adiminius wasn’t alone in asking for help and he was joined by other influential Britons in the Roman capitol claiming barbaric behaviour by the leaders of the Catuvellauni, who it was claimed were said to be attacking other tribes loyal to Rome which of course was a lie. Adiminius also claimed that Togodumnus and Caratacus intended to defy Rome altogether and were going to cut all ties, it was all fabrication but the details or truth didn’t matter as Claudius saw this as an ideal opportunity to gain favour from his people and the legions.
The Emperor had only been in power for two years and knew that a victory over the Catuvellauni would enable his empire to further its own ambitions whilst at the same time demonstrating that he was a powerful and worthy leader. Rumours were soon spreading that the situation in Britannia would have to be dealt with before it became too powerful as one tribe was unifying the others in a plot against Rome.
The stories spread like wildfire through the streets of the city from the rich to the poor alike and even without a hostile boot setting foot on the shores of the island the popularity of Claudius began to rise.
It was said that another barbaric people like the Gaul’s and people of Germania had risen far away to the east. It was an uncivilised land where druids ruled and plotted against them and that they would have to be put down before they became too powerful. What had started out as a few disenchanted individuals banished because of their own greed and avarice would soon influence every life in Britannia. Momentum built to fever pitch for another war in a foreign land that was rich in resources and people, potential slaves.
Togodumnus and Caratacus knew that this had all happened before when their father had ruled and had been victorious in battle against Commius, King of the Atrebates. Vanquished and humiliated Commius had sought sanctuary in Gaul where Caesar seized the opportunity to come to the assistance of an ally. He had subsequently led an expeditionary force to Britannia intending to put the exiled King back on his throne. However the Catuvellauni led by their father had defeated Caesar’s two legions who had barely managed to gain a foot hold on their shores before being forced back into the sea and then to Gaul.
Caesar had learned that the warrior race across the channel were not to be treated with contempt and so was forced to withdraw to think again. He had assumed that his professionally trained soldiers would be more than a match for the disorganised hordes who were said to live in mud huts, eat butchered raw meat and drink ale made from milk. He had in reality vastly underestimated his foe and was forced into retreating and it was recognised by some as a humiliating defeat.
However, with the aid of some intelligent propaganda the great General had turned a defeat into a victory by means of a tactical withdrawal impressing some of his superiors in Rome with the aid of clever propaganda. Subsequently, the following year, he tried again this time setting sail with five full legions and successfully returned Commius to the Atrebatic throne. Cunobelinus though was neither bowed or defeated and despite many losses to his own, continued to attack the invaders who were forced to marshal their legions and to once again return to Gaul, their original aim accomplished.
Claudius now repeated history by using Caesars excuse for war. One of the successors to the Atrebates throne after Commius was his descendant Verica, who in a mirror of the past had been defeated by Adminius. Verica now appealed for Roman assistance as an ally and Claudius was more than willing to help the client King and loyal trader and subject of Rome. Togodumnus and Caratacus knew that Claudius had lied to his people in order to create an excuse for war and had therefore gone back on his word to keep the peace. They now swore to resist the invaders just as their father had done so many years before.
Knowing the enemy were organised and had many professionally trained soldiers at their disposal, they knew the odds were against them especially after recent encounters, If they were to be successful they had to try and persuade their neighbours to join them but after years of conflict between the different regions it would be difficult. They hoped that the surrounding tribes would see that the years of peace living side by side would outweigh the far less occurring disputes they had been involved in, especially once they learned of the Emperors deceit.
The faltering of the legions to invade when the tribes were gathered and waiting for them had in fact now turned out to be the worst thing to happen as far as the Britons were concerned. Togodumnus upon hearing the news that the soldiers were refusing to board the ships and were on the verge of mutiny, had dispersed his warriors, sending them home believing that the planned invasion wouldn’t now happen. Unknowingly, the few days hesitation by the superstitious men of the Roman army, who believed that Britannia couldn’t be conquered after Caesars failures, had in reality bought themselves an unopposed landing.
The Catuvellauni were now at war with a devious and powerful former ally who had marched across the vast lands to the east but they were prepared to give a good account of themselves. The Gaul’s had shown that the Romans could be halted as had happened at Alesia with more determination by Vercingetorex to take the sword to the Romans, better tactics and resolute allies and reinforcements, they would have been victorious.