A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



having been found on the site." Had London been the stronghold of 

 Cassivellaunus, Caesar would not have omitted from his description of the 

 site the all-important fact that it stood on the Thames. 



So far as the evidence at present goes the only place that was 

 undoubtedly a Late Celtic stronghold fulfilling the requirements of Caesar's 

 description, is Verulamium, near St. Albans. It was surrounded by wood- 

 land on its east, west and south sides, which then would be difficult of 

 access, it had a marsh on its north side and was fortified by a formidable 

 earthen rampart and ditch. Besides, we know that it was the stronghold 

 of the immediate successor of Cassivellaunus, and numerous coins and other 

 objects of the Late Celtic period have been discovered on its site (PI. i)." 



Caesar must have arrived at this British stronghold about the beginning 

 of August. Cassivellaunus was at that time away planning an attack on the 

 Roman naval camp on the Kentish coast, but the attack failed, and shortly 

 afterwards being deserted by several of the confederated tribes he sued for 

 peace.** Caesar was glad to bring to an end a somewhat inglorious and 

 unprofitable campaign, and having arranged for hostages, tribute and the 

 independence of his allies, the Trinovantes, he returned with his army to 

 the coast. After some delay at the naval camp his fleet started for Gaul 

 about the middle of September. Caesar's invasions of Britain must have 

 been extremely costly and the results cannot have been commensurate with 

 the outlay. It is true they put a stop to British interference in Gaul, but 

 it is unlikely that the Romans obtained much booty, and it is more than 

 doubtful if the tribute imposed upon the Britons was regularly paid. On 

 the other hand the invasions had a lasting effect on the Britons themselves. 

 They opened up the country to Roman commerce and admitted higher ideas 

 of civilization. 



Cassivellaunus continued to rule over the Catuvellauni with his seat of 

 government probably at Verulamium, apparently leaving the Trinovantes 

 under the rule of Mandubracius. He died about b.c. 47, and was succeeded 

 by Tasciovanus, possibly his son, who continued to make Verulamium the 

 seat of government. We know little of his reign, but it would seem that 

 towards the close of it he acquired the dominion of the Trinovantes either 

 by conquest, succession, or election. There seems to be some evidence that 

 during his lifetime he appointed his son Cunobeline or Cymbelene to rule 

 over this latter tribe with his seat of government at Camulodunum." On 

 the death of Tasciovanus about a.d. 5, Cunobeline continued to make the 

 seat of his government at Camulodunum, owing to which Verulamium 

 lost its position as chief town in Britain. He seems to have reassumed the 

 sovereignty which Cassivellaunus held over the Belgic tribes in the south- 

 east of Britain and the gradually increasing intercourse with the continent 

 and Rome brought him considerable wealth and power."" 



^^ The records of the discovery of objects in London are so scattered that it is difficult to speak 

 positively as to what has been found, but it seems certain that very few objects of the Late Celtic period have 

 been discovered actually on the site of Roman London. 



'^ V.C.H. Herts, i, 238-42. Verulamium was of sufficient distance from the Thames to allow for the 

 tactics of Cassivellaunus and the other occurrences as described by Caesar. 



2* De Bello Gallico, v, 22. ^ Evans, Coins of the Ancient Britons (1864), 289. 



2' Ibid. The objects found with the burials at Welwyn in 1 906 are of this period, and some of them 

 must have been very costly importations from Italy. See also remarb as to the indications of wealth as 

 shown by the late Celtic coinage, infra. 



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