Cartismandua

Cartimandua
Queen of the Brigantes
Caractacus, King of the Silures, delivered up to Ostorius, the Roman General, by Cartimandua, Queen of the Brigantes - print by F. Bartolozzi, British Museum
Reign	c. AD 43 – c. AD 69
Predecessor	unknown
Successor	Venutius
Born	c. 1st century AD
Died	after c. AD 69
Spouse	Venutius (divorced) Vellocatus
Father	unknown
Mother	unknown

Cartimandua or Cartismandua (reigned c. AD 43 – c. 69) was a 1st-century queen of the Brigantes, a Celtic people living in what is now northern England. She came to power around the time of the Roman conquest of Britain, and formed a large tribal agglomeration that became loyal to Rome. Our only knowledge of her is through the Roman historian Tacitus, though she appears to have been widely influential in early Roman Britain.

Her name may be a compound of the Common Celtic roots *carti- "chase, expel, send" and *mandu- "pony".

Although Cartimandua is first mentioned by Tacitus as in 51 CE, her rule over the Brigantes may have already been established when the Roman emperor Claudius began the organized conquest of Britain in 43: she may have been one of the eleven "kings" who Claudius's triumphal arch says surrendered without a fight. 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. Of "illustrious birth" according to Tacitus, she probably inherited her power, as she appears to have ruled by right rather than through marriage. She and her husband, Venutius, are described by Tacitus as loyal to Rome and "defended by our [Roman] arms". 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.