Venutius facts for kids

Section of Tor Dyke, a defensive wall possibly built under the instructions of Venutius

Venutius was a powerful king who lived in northern Britain long ago. He ruled a group of people called the Brigantes during a time when the Roman Empire was taking over Britain. Venutius is famous for leading a big fight against the Romans.

Who Was King Venutius?

Venutius was a leader of the Brigantes, a large group of tribes in what is now northern England. He lived in the 1st century AD, when the Romans were conquering Britain. Some historians think he might have belonged to a smaller tribe called the Carvetii, which was part of the Brigantes.

Venutius and Queen Cartimandua

We first learn about Venutius around the year 51 AD. At that time, he was married to Cartimandua, who was the queen of the Brigantes.

• After a British leader named Caratacus was defeated by the Romans in Wales, he tried to hide with the Brigantes.
• However, Queen Cartimandua handed Caratacus over to the Romans.
• Even though the Brigantes were supposed to be an independent kingdom, a Roman writer named Tacitus said that Cartimandua and Venutius were loyal to Rome. He wrote that Roman power protected them.

Leading the Resistance

After Caratacus was captured, Venutius became a very important leader for those who wanted to fight against the Roman occupation.

• It seems that Queen Cartimandua grew tired of Venutius. She divorced him and married his armour-bearer, a man named Vellocatus.
• She then made Vellocatus the new king instead of Venutius.
• At first, Venutius only wanted to get his kingdom back from his ex-wife. But soon, he started to focus on fighting her Roman protectors.
• The Romans supported Cartimandua because she was their ally. They sent their troops to help her.
• Venutius's first rebellion was defeated by a Roman general named Caesius Nasica. This happened between 52 and 57 AD.

A Second Revolt Against Rome

Years later, in 69 AD, the Roman Empire was having a lot of problems. There was a period called the year of four emperors, where different leaders fought to become emperor.

• Venutius saw this as a chance to rebel again.
• Queen Cartimandua asked the Romans for help, but they could only send a small number of extra soldiers.
• Cartimandua had to leave her kingdom for safety. Venutius then took control of the Brigantes.

What Happened Next?

We don't know exactly what happened to Venutius after the new Roman emperor, Vespasian, took power.

• Tacitus, the Roman writer, said that Vespasian had to "recover" Britain. This might mean he had to deal with the ongoing fight against the Brigantes.
• A Roman governor named Quintus Petillius Cerialis fought against the Brigantes from 71 to 74 AD.
• Even after this, the Brigantes were not fully under Roman control for many more decades.
• Another governor, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, also campaigned in their territory.
• Roman writers like Juvenal and Pausanias mentioned wars against the Brigantes even into the early 2nd century.