Editing Roman conquest of Britain (section)

==River battles==
British resistance was led by [[Togodumnus]] and [[Caratacus]], sons of the late king of the Catuvellauni, [[Cunobeline]]. A substantial British force met the Romans at a river crossing thought to be near [[Rochester, Kent|Rochester]] on the [[River Medway]]. The [[Battle of the Medway]] raged for two days. [[Gnaeus Hosidius Geta]] was almost captured, but recovered and turned the battle so decisively that he was awarded the [[Roman triumph]]. At least one division of auxiliary [[Batavi_(Germanic_tribe)|Batavian]] troops swam across the river as a separate force.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britishbattles.com/wars-of-roman-britain/battle-of-medway/|title=Battle of Medway – Vespasian and the Roman Conquest of Southern England|website=www.britishbattles.com}}</ref>

The British were pushed back to the [[River Thames|Thames]]. They were pursued by the Romans across the river, causing some Roman losses in the marshes of [[Essex]]. Whether the Romans made use of an existing bridge for this purpose or built a temporary one is uncertain.

Togodumnus died shortly after the battle on the Thames. Plautius halted and sent word for Claudius to join him for the final push. Cassius Dio presents this as Plautius needing the emperor's assistance to defeat the resurgent British, who were determined to avenge Togodumnus. However, Claudius was no military man. The [[Praetorian Guard#Under the Julio-Claudian dynasty|Praetorian cohorts]] accompanied Emperor Claudius to Britain in AD 43. [[Arch of Claudius (British victory)|The Arch of Claudius]] in Rome says he received the surrender of eleven British kings with no losses,<ref>[[Wikisource:Arch of Claudius|Arch of Claudius]]</ref> and Suetonius' ''The Twelve Caesars'' says that Claudius received the surrender of the Britons without battle or bloodshed.<ref name="penelope.uchicago.edu"/> It is likely that the Catuvellauni were already as good as beaten, allowing the emperor to appear as conqueror on the final march on Camulodunum. Cassius Dio relates that he brought [[war elephant]]s and heavy armaments which would have overawed any remaining native resistance. Eleven tribes of South East Britain surrendered to Claudius and the Romans prepared to move further west and north. The Romans established their new capital at Camulodunum and Claudius returned to Rome to celebrate his victory. Caratacus escaped with his family, retainers, and treasure, to continue his resistance further west.

After the invasion, Verica may have been restored as king of the Atrebates although by this time he would have been very elderly. In any case a new ruler for their region, [[Cogidubnus]], soon appeared as his heir and as king of a number of territories following the first stage of the conquest as a reward as a Roman ally.<ref>{{Harvcolnb|Tacitus ''Agricola''|loc=14}}</ref>