Trinovantes
The
Trinovantes or
Trinobantes were one of the
Celtic
tribes that lived in pre-
Roman Britain. Their territory was on the north side of the
Thames estuary in current
Essex and
Suffolk, and included lands now located in
Greater London. Their name derives from the Celtic intensive prefix "tri-" and "novio" - new - so the name literally means "very new", probably with the sense of "newcomers". Their capital was Camulodunum (modern
Colchester), one proposed site of the legendary
Camelot.
Shortly before
Julius Caesar's
invasion of Britain in
55 and
54 BC, the Trinovantes were considered the most powerful tribe in Britain. At this time their capital was probably at
Braughing (in modern-day
Hertfordshire). In some manuscripts of Caesar's
Gallic War their king is referred to as
Imanuentius, although in other manuscripts no name is given. Some time before Caesar's second expedition this king was overthrown by
Cassivellaunus, who is usually assumed to have belonged to the
Catuvellauni. His son,
Mandubracius, fled to the protection of Caesar in
Gaul. During his second expedition Caesar defeated Cassivellaunus and restored Mandubracius to the kingship, and Cassivellaunus undertook not to molest him again. Tribute was also agreed.
The next identifiable king of the Trinovantes, known from
numismatic evidence, was
Addedomarus, who took power ca.
20-
15 BC, and moved the tribe's capital to Camulodunum. For a brief period ca.
10 BC Tasciovanus of the Catuvellauni issued coins from Camulodunum, suggesting that he conquered the Trinovantes, but he was soon forced to withdraw, perhaps as a result of pressure from the Romans, as his later coins no longer bear the mark
"Rex", and Addedomarus was restored. Addedomarus was briefly succeeded by his son
Dubnovellaunus c.
10–
5 BC, but a few years later the tribe was finally conquered by either Tasciovanus or his son
Cunobelinus.Mandubracius, Addedomarus and Dubnovellaunus all appear in later, post-Roman and medieval British Celtic genealogies and legends as Manawydan, Aedd Mawr (Addedo the Great) and Dyfnwal Moelmut (Dubnovellaunus the Bald and Silent). The Welsh Triads recall Aedd Mawr as one of the founders of Britain.
The Trinovantes reappeared in history when they participated in
Boudica's revolt against the
Roman Empire in
60 AD. Their name was given to one of the
civitates of
Roman Britain, whose chief town was Caesaromagus (modern
Chelmsford, Essex).
Their name survived in British legend as
Trinovantum, the supposed original name of
London, in
Geoffrey of Monmouth's
Historia Regum Britanniae and elsewhere. Geoffrey claimed the name derived from
Troi-novantum or "New
Troy", connecting this with the legend that Britain was founded by
Brutus and other refugees from the
Trojan War.
*
Julius Caesar,
De Bello Gallico*
Caesar Augustus,
Res Gestae Divi Augusti*
Tacitus,
Annals*
Geoffrey of Monmouth,
Historia Regum Britanniae*
Trinovantes at
Roman-Britain.org*
Trinovantes at
Romans in Britain
