Cassivellaunus
Cassivellaunus. British chief or king. Cassivellaunus is known only from the war diaries of Julius Caesar and Dio Cassius' later derivative account of Caesar's invasions of 55 and 54 bc. Nevertheless, he may well have been a key figure in the political development of south-eastern Britain before the Roman conquest. Caesar recounts that before his invasions, Cassivellaunus had been in a continual state of warfare with neighbouring tribes. His territory is described as beginning some 75 miles from the sea, and on the far side (that is, on the north bank) of the Thames. This places him in the Chilterns and suggests that he may have been the first local chieftain to found a kingdom here which was later to dominate most of south-east England under the tribal name of the Catuvellauni. His abilities as a war leader are confirmed by his selection by the British, even those he had recently been fighting, to lead the opposition to Caesar. His subsequent handling of his forces and his use of guerrilla tactics, which prevented Caesar from achieving the total victory he was seeking, suggest a shrewd military mind. The location of his stronghold is uncertain but Wheathamstead near Welwyn is possible.
Keith Branigan
More From encyclopedia.com
South African War , South African War or Boer War, 1899–1902, war of the South African Republic (Transvaal) and the Orange Free State against Great Britain.
Background
B… Falklands War , BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Falklands War broke out in 1982 because the United Kingdom and Argentina claimed sovereignty over the islands. Neither country had a… Iceni , Iceni
Iceni. British tribe and civitas. The tribal coinage, which carries the name ecen or eceni, suggests that the tribe were restricted to Norfolk… Boadicea , Iceni Queen Boudicca (died 61) ruled over a small tribe of Celts who challenged the colonization plans of the Roman Empire in England. The insurrecti… Naphtali , NAPHTALI (Heb. נַפְתָּלִי), the sixth son of Jacob and second son of Bilhah, Rachel's maid (Gen. 30:7). The name is said to derive from Rachel's word… Anglo-afghan Wars , The first two wars took place in the context of the Great Game that pitted the empires of Britain and Russia against each other for the control of Ce…
About this article
Cassivellaunus
All Sources -
You Might Also Like
NEARBY TERMS
Cassivellaunus