The Catuvellauni



The Catuvellauni occupied the central part of England, encompassing London, Hertfordshire , Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, parts of Essex, Northamptonshire.
The Catuvellauni were something of an enigma in that they were not recorded by Julius Caesar anywhere in his writings on Britain. Yet when Claudius invaded in 43AD , the Catuvellauni were the most dominant tribe in Britain, having taken control by force of much of South East England. But we do know that Cassivellaunus organised the British resistance against Caesar's second expeditionary force. There reasons for this may have been:
The Catuvellauni were known under a different name
Caesar may have considered them too small to mention, although considering the area they occupied, this is highly unlikely.
Caesar was known for recording events in a manner that turned defeat into victory, and may have tried to play down the role of the Catuvellauni in their defiance of his forces.
This tribe was known for having strong leadership and a well organised structure with an effective fighting force. Which was how they managed to take over the land occupied by the Atrebates, Trinovantes and the Cantium. The reasons for expanding outwards from their own territory were mainly political rather than just a desire to dominate surrounding areas.
From: www.romans-in-britain.org.uk


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