Editing Cartimandua

{{short description|1st century AD Queen of the Brigantes in northern England}}
{{Infobox royalty
| monarch      = 
| name         = Cartimandua
| title        = Queen of the [[Brigantes]]
| image        = File:Cartimandua.jpg
| caption      = "Caractacus, King of the Silures, deliver'd up to Ostorius, the Roman General, by Cartismandua, Queen of the Brigantes." – print by F. Bartolozzi, British Museum
|succession   = Queen of the [[Brigantes]]
| reign       = before AD 51 – AD 69
| regent      = [[Venutius]] (until divorce)<br>[[Vellocatus]] (from remarriage)
| reg-type     = Co-ruler
| successor    = [[Venutius]]
| native_lang1 = [[Common Brittonic|Brythonic]]
| native_lang1_name1 = 
| spouse       = [[Venutius]] (divorced)<br>[[Vellocatus]]
| birth_date   = c. 1st century AD
| birth_place  = 
| death_date   = after AD 69
| death_place  = |
}}
'''Cartimandua''' or '''Cartismandua''' (reigned {{circa|lk = no|AD&nbsp;43|69}}) was a [[1st century in Roman Britain|1st-century]] queen of the [[Brigantes]], a [[Celts|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 [[Roman conquest of Britain|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 [[Ancient Rome|Rome]].

Cartimandua is portrayed notoriously in Tacitus's account of her. She is recorded betraying the Celtic chieftain [[Caratacus]], insincerely offering him sanctuary, but instead turning him in to the Romans in exchange for wealth. She also is recorded for her having divorced her consort and replaced with a common military man. She subsequently engaged in extended military conflict with her ex-consort as he staged revolts against her multiple times, eventually losing to him. 

== History ==
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 [[Roman conquest of Britain|conquest of Britain]] in 43: she may have been one of the eleven "kings" who [[Claudius]]'s triumphal arch says surrendered without a fight.<ref>[[s:Arch of Claudius|Arch of Claudius]]</ref> 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.<ref>[[Tacitus]], ''[[Annals (Tacitus)|Annals]]'' [[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 12#32|12.32]]</ref>

Being of "illustrious birth", according to Tacitus,<ref name="h3.45">Tacitus, ''[[Histories (Tacitus)|Histories]]'' [[s:The Histories (Tacitus)/Book 3#45|3.45]]</ref> Cartimandua probably inherited her power, as she does not appear to have obtained it through marriage.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Amazons and Fighter Pilots: A Biographical Dictionary of Military Women|last=Pennington|first=Reina|publisher=Greenwood Press|year=2003|isbn=0313327076|location=Westport, CT|pages=80}}</ref> 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"<ref>Delamarre 2003, p. 108.</ref> and ''*mandu-'' "pony".<ref>Delamarre 2003, p. 215.</ref>

=== Betrayal of Caratacus ===

In 51, the British resistance leader [[Caratacus]] sought sanctuary with Cartimandua after being defeated by Ostorius Scapula in [[Wales]], but Cartimandua handed him over to the Romans in chains.<ref name="a12.36">Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 12#36|12.36]]</ref> According to Tacitus:

<blockquote>''"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."''<ref name="m586">{{cite web | title=The story of Cartimandua as relayed by Tacitus | website=Welcome to the University of Warwick | date=August 13, 2021 | url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/classics/warwickclassicsnetwork/romancoventry/resources/interactions/civitates/cartimandua/tacitus/ | access-date=July 8, 2024}}</ref></blockquote>

=== Venutius divorce and conflict ===

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 [[Cohort (military unit)|cohorts]] to defend their client queen. The fighting was inconclusive until [[Caesius Nasica]] arrived with a [[Roman legion|legion]], the ''[[Legio IX Hispana|IX Hispana]]'', and defeated the rebels. Cartimandua retained her throne thanks to prompt military support from Roman forces.<ref name="a12.40">Tacitus, ''Annals'' [[s:The Annals (Tacitus)/Book 12#40|12.40]]</ref>

Tacitus wrote:

<blockquote>''"She grew to despise her husband Venutius, and took as her consort his squire Vellocatus, whom she admitted to share the throne with her. Her house was at once shaken by this scandalous act. Her husband was favoured by the sentiments of all the citizens; the adulterer was supported by the queen's passion for him and by her savage spirit. So Venutius, calling in aid from outside and at the same time assisted by a revolt of the Brigantes themselves, put Cartimandua into an extremely dangerous position. Then she asked the Romans for protection, and in fact some companies of our foot and horse, after meeting with indifferent success in a number of engagements, finally succeeded in rescuing the queen from danger. The throne was left to Venutius; the war to us."''<ref name="m586">{{cite web | title=The story of Cartimandua as relayed by Tacitus | website=Welcome to the University of Warwick | date=August 13, 2021 | url=https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/classics/warwickclassicsnetwork/romancoventry/resources/interactions/civitates/cartimandua/tacitus/ | access-date=July 8, 2024}}</ref></blockquote>

Tacitus refers to Cartimandua's leaving her consort for Vellocatus as scandalous. He also discusses how Venutius rallies against her, but fails after she secures aid from the Romans.

Cartimandua was not so successful in the year 69. Taking advantage of Roman instability during the [[year of four emperors]], Venutius staged another revolt, again with help from other nations. Cartimandua appealed for troops from the Romans, who were only able to send [[auxiliaries (Roman military)|auxiliaries]]. Cartimandua was evacuated, leaving Venutius in control of a kingdom at war with Rome.<ref name="h3.45" /> After this, Cartimandua disappears from the sources.

== References ==
{{reflist}}
*Delamarre, Xavier (2003). ''Dictionnaire de la Langue Gauloise'', Editions Errance.

== Further reading ==
*Howarth, Nicki (2008), ''Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes'' (Stroud: [[The History Press]]).
*Salmonson, Jessica Amanda (1991), ''The Encyclopedia of Amazons'', Paragon House, page 50.
*Braund, David (1996), ''Ruling Roman Britain: Kings, Queens, Governors, and Emperors from Julius Caesar to Agricola'' (New York: Routledge).

== External links ==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060702223938/http://www.mun.ca/mst/heroicage/issues/1/habcg.htm The Heroic Age: Brigantia, Cartimandua and Gwenhwyfar]
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}

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[[Category:1st-century monarchs in Europe]]
[[Category:Ancient Celtic women]]
[[Category:Briton monarchs]]
[[Category:Roman client monarchs]]
[[Category:Women in 1st-century warfare]]
[[Category:Women in ancient European warfare]]
[[Category:Women in war in Britain]]
[[Category:Queens regnant in the British Isles]]