Guiderius facts for kids
Guiderius was a legendary king of ancient Britain. He is mentioned in old stories, especially in a famous book called Historia Regum Britanniae (which means History of the Kings of Britain). This book was written by Geoffrey of Monmouth. Some historians think Guiderius might be based on a real historical leader named Togodumnus.
Who Was Guiderius?
Guiderius was the oldest son of another British king, Cunobeline. When his father passed away, Guiderius became the new king of Britain. His father, King Cunobeline, used to pay a special tax, called a tribute, to the powerful Roman Empire.
A King Who Defied Rome
Unlike his father, King Guiderius decided he would not pay the tribute to Rome anymore. This made the Roman emperor, Claudius, very angry. Emperor Claudius decided to invade Britain to make Guiderius pay.
The Roman army, led by Emperor Claudius and his main general, Lelius Hamo, landed in Britain at a place called Portchester. They built strong defenses there and started to attack the nearby city. King Guiderius gathered all the men he could find in Britain. He marched his army south to meet the Romans in battle.
The Battle and a Tragic End
The British and Roman armies fought fiercely. At first, the Britons were doing very well. The Roman soldiers even started to retreat back to their ships.
However, General Hamo had a clever and sneaky plan. He put on British armor so he looked like one of Guiderius's soldiers. Then, he started attacking his own Roman army, pretending to be a British fighter. He even shouted to the real British soldiers to do the same. This trick allowed Hamo to get very close to King Guiderius. Hamo then attacked Guiderius, and the king was killed.
After Guiderius died, his younger brother, Arvirargus, quickly took over as king right there during the battle.
Guiderius in Stories
Guiderius is also a character in a famous play by William Shakespeare called Cymbeline. In this play, Guiderius and his brother Arvirargus were kidnapped when they were children. They were taken by a nobleman named Belarius, who had been unfairly sent away by their father, King Cymbeline.
Belarius raised the boys in secret in Wales. But eventually, Guiderius and Arvirargus were reunited with their father and their sister, Imogen. This reunion happened just in time for the Roman invasion of Britain, which is also a big part of the play's story.
