Commius facts for kids

Commius was a powerful king of the Belgic people called the Atrebates. He ruled first in Gaul (modern-day France) and later in Britain. He lived in the 1st century BC.

The Winchester Hoard (around 50 BC). This fancy jewelry might have been a gift to a British leader, possibly connected to Commius.

Commius: Friend of Caesar

When Julius Caesar took over the Atrebates in Gaul in 57 BC, he made Commius their king. This story is told in Caesar's own writings, Commentarii de Bello Gallico.

Before Caesar's first trip to Britain in 55 BC, he sent Commius there. Commius was supposed to convince the Britons not to fight Caesar. But when Commius arrived, he was arrested! When the Britons couldn't stop Caesar from landing, they gave Commius back as part of a deal.

Commius then helped Caesar. He brought a small group of horsemen from his tribe. They helped Caesar fight off more British attacks. During Caesar's second trip to Britain, Commius helped make a peace deal. He helped the British leader Cassivellaunus surrender.

Commius stayed loyal to Caesar for a while. He helped during the Gaulish revolts of 54 BC. Because of this, Caesar let the Atrebates stay independent. They didn't have to pay taxes. Caesar even made Commius ruler of another tribe, the Morini.

But this loyalty didn't last. A Roman officer named Aulus Hirtius wrote about it. While Caesar was away, another Roman leader, Titus Labienus, thought Commius was plotting against Rome. Labienus sent a soldier, Gaius Volusenus Quadratus, to trick Commius. They planned to kill him at a fake meeting. But Commius escaped, though he got a bad head injury. After that, he promised he would never work with Romans again.

Commius: Enemy of Caesar

In 52 BC, the Atrebates joined a big revolt of Gaulish tribes. This revolt was led by Vercingetorix. Commius was one of the leaders who tried to help Vercingetorix. They tried to break the Roman siege at Siege of Alesia. But Vercingetorix was defeated.

After this, Commius joined another revolt by the Bellovaci tribe. He even convinced about 500 German fighters to help them. But this revolt was also defeated. Commius then hid with his German friends.

In 51 BC, Commius came back to his homeland. He had a small group of horsemen. He started a campaign of small, surprise attacks against the Romans. That winter, Mark Antony, a Roman commander, ordered Volusenus to chase Commius. Volusenus was happy to do it.

When the two groups of horsemen met, Volusenus won the fight. But he got a spear wound in his leg. Commius escaped and asked for peace. He offered to give hostages and promised to live where he was told. He also promised not to fight Caesar anymore. But he had one condition: he never wanted to meet a Roman again. Antony agreed to his request.

A Roman writer named Sextus Julius Frontinus wrote a story about Commius. He said Commius fled to Britain with his followers. Caesar was chasing him. When Commius reached the English Channel, the wind was good for sailing. But the tide was out, and the ships were stuck in the mud. Commius ordered the sails to be raised anyway. Caesar, who was far behind, saw the sails. He thought the ships were floating and stopped chasing them.

This story makes it seem like the peace deal with Antony broke down. It suggests fighting started again between Commius and Caesar. However, some historians think this isn't quite right. One idea is that Commius was sent to Britain as part of his peace deal. This would make sure he never met a Roman again. Another idea is that Frontinus's story is just a legend.

Some historians believe Commius was actually sent to Britain by Caesar. He might have been set up as a friendly king there. His reputation might have been fixed by blaming his betrayal on Labienus. Labienus later left Caesar during a civil war.

Commius's name also appears on coins made in Gaul after the Roman conquest. Sometimes his name is with Garmanos or Carsicios. This might mean he still had some power in Gaul, even when he was away. Perhaps he ruled through other people. Or, Garmanos and Carsicios might have been Commius's sons. They might have put their father's name on their own coins.

Commius: King in Britain

Around 30 BC, Commius became king of the Atrebates in Britain. He started making his own coins from a place called Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester). It's possible that Commius and his followers started this kingdom. But when Caesar first came to Britain, Commius could already provide horsemen from his people. This suggests that some Atrebates were already living in Britain at that time.

Coins with Commius's name were made until about 20 BC. Some people think there might have been two kings named Commius, a father and a son. This is because he ruled for a long time. However, if Commius was young when Caesar made him king, he could have lived until 20 BC. Some coins from this time say "COM COMMIOS." If this means "Commius son of Commius," it would support the idea of two kings.

Three later kings are named on their coins as sons of Commius. They are Tincomarus, Eppillus, and Verica. Around 25 BC, Commius seemed to rule with Tincomarus. After Commius died, Tincomarus probably ruled the northern part of the kingdom from Calleva. Eppillus ruled the southern part from Noviomagus (Chichester). Eppillus became the only ruler around AD 7. Verica took over from him around AD 15. He ruled until just before the Roman conquest in AD 43.

What Commius's Name Means

The name Commius (also spelled Commios, Comius, Comnios) doesn't have a clear meaning in the Celtic language. Some experts think it might mean 'friend' or 'ally'. This is because 'Com-' often means 'with' or 'together'.

Another idea is that Commius's name comes from a Celtic word meaning 'to cut' or 'to strike'.

Some historians suggest that "Commios" might have been a title. It could mean an "elected ruler." This title might have been used for leaders of tribes that didn't have a king at the time.

Commius in Stories and Movies

A French writer named Anatole France wrote a long short story about Commius. It was about how the Romans influenced Gaul. In the story, Commius's name is changed to Komm. The story is called "Komm of the Atrebates." You can read it online in his book Clio.

Commius also appeared in a French movie from 2001 called Vercingétorix.

He is also a small character in the book Caesar by Colleen McCullough. This book is part of her "Masters of Rome" series. It's a historical fiction novel, but it tries to show Commius accurately.