Togodumnus facts for kids

Togodumnus was a British king who lived a long time ago, around the year 43 AD. He was the leader of a powerful tribe called the Catuvellauni, whose main town was near what we now call St. Albans. Togodumnus was king when the Romans invaded Britain. Some people think he might be the same person as a legendary British king named Guiderius.

Historians usually believe Togodumnus fought against the Romans with his brother, Caratacus. They think he died early in the fighting. However, some experts now suggest he actually joined forces with the Romans. They even believe he might be the same person as another king, Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, who was a friend of Rome.

Who Was King Togodumnus?

We know about Togodumnus mostly from an ancient book called Roman History, written by a historian named Cassius Dio. According to Dio, Togodumnus was the son of another important king, Cunobelinus. Togodumnus likely became king of the Catuvellauni after his father. At that time, the Catuvellauni were the strongest kingdom in the southeast part of Britain. Their land included areas belonging to other tribes, like the Trinovantes and possibly the Dobunni.

His Family and the Roman Invasion

Togodumnus had two well-known brothers, Adminius and Caratacus. Later in their father Cunobelinus's life, Adminius took control of the Cantiaci tribe in Kent. But in 40 AD, Adminius was forced to leave Britain. He went to the Roman emperor Caligula to ask for help. Caligula planned to invade Britain because of this, but he changed his mind at the last moment.

Based on where old coins have been found, it seems that Caratacus, following his uncle Epaticcus, conquered the Atrebates tribe. The Atrebates were the main rivals of the Catuvellauni. Their king, Verica, fled to Rome in the early 40s. This gave the new Roman emperor, Claudius, a reason to invade Britain in 43 AD.

Fighting the Romans

According to Cassius Dio, Togodumnus and his brother Caratacus led the first British resistance against the Roman invasion. But Togodumnus was killed after a battle near the River Thames. After this, the Roman commander, Aulus Plautius, stopped at the Thames. He sent a message to Emperor Claudius, asking him to come and join the final march on the Catuvellauni's capital, Camulodunum (which is now Colchester).

Dio wrote that the British fighters became even more determined after Togodumnus died. They wanted to get revenge for him. So, Plautius needed the emperor's help to finish the conquest. However, Claudius was not a military leader and only stayed in Britain for about sixteen days. This makes some people think the Britons were probably already close to being defeated. After Togodumnus's death, Caratacus took over as leader. He continued fighting the Romans outside their controlled areas until 51 AD.

Was Togodumnus Also Togidubnus?

An ancient writer named Tacitus wrote about a king who ruled several areas and was a loyal friend to Rome. This king was called Cogidumnus in most old copies of Tacitus's writings, but in one copy, he was called Togidumnus. We also found a damaged stone carving in Chichester that mentions a king named "..gidubnus".

Because the names are so similar, some experts, like Barry Cunliffe from Oxford University, think that Togodumnus and Togidubnus might be the same person. Another historian, John Hind, suggests that Cassius Dio might have been wrong when he wrote that Togodumnus "perished" (died) after the Thames battle. Hind thinks the Greek word Dio used might have been a mistranslation of a Latin word that meant "lost" or "defeated," not necessarily "killed."

Hind believes that Togodumnus was defeated, not killed. He then suggests that the Britons wanted to get revenge for his defeat, not his death. He proposes that after Togodumnus surrendered to the Romans, they made him a friendly king. He would then rule over the lands of the Regini, the Atrebates, the Belgae, and the Dobunni tribes. This would make him the loyal king that Tacitus wrote about.