Queen Cartimandua (Sleek Horse?) was the legendary queen ruling the confederation of tribes known as Brigantes from a tribal base, probably in the Iron Age fortress of Stanwick, North Yorkshire. She took as her husband and warlord, Venutius of the Carvetii tribe and while he was called king, Queen Catimandua by tradition and lineage held the power of rule.
In 43AD the Brigantes were the largest tribe in northern Britain and sooner than attempt subjugation, the Romans entered into treaties with them. Catimandua in exchange for security and lack of interference agreed that the Brigantes would act as a self-governing buffer zone, between the Romans and the wilder tribes further north.
Not all of the Brigantes agreed with the treaty and there was an underlying unrest that finally exploded into open rebellion against Cartimandua in 48AD. The rebellion was eventually quelled with help from her allies the Romans, Ostorius Scapula broke off an engagement against the Ordovices of North Wales to come to her aid. Resentment against Cartimandua, which had not really gone away, bubbled closer to the surface in 51AD when she handed prince Caratacus over to the Romans.
Caratacus a Catuvellauni warlord, the son of Conobelinus leader of the southern Celts, had previously joined forces with the Ordovices to fight against Roman rule. Unfortunately he was eventually beaten in battle and his wife and daughter were taken. Caratacus managed to escape capture and travelled to Brigantia to seek help and instead found himself bound in chains by order of Cartimandua and handed over to her old friend Ostorius Scapula, who was by then the Roman governor.
This action was seen by many of the Brigantian nobles as a pro Roman step too far and resentment continued against the queen until finally in 53AD/ 55AD, after she had divorced him, Venutius set up a rival faction and launched an attack. As before Cartimandua turned to the Romans for assistance and Aulus Didius Gallus the new Roman governor sent several auxiliary cohorts to help out.
Catimandua a strong willed woman continued to rule but did nothing to help her cause by taking as her consort a young warrior called Vellocatus who had been her ex husband’s armour bearer. This move scandalised the Brigantian nobles and stirred up resentment once more. Despite this Cartimandua with her consort Vellocatus by her side, managed to hold on as queen until 70AD when a massive rebellion ousted her from power and she had to be rescued by a unit of Roman auxiliary cavalry.
Nothing more is heard of Cartimandua, or Vellocatus, but her ex husband Venutius ruled the Brigantes until 73AD when the Romans, sick of the constant acts of rebellion, took the tribe under the direct rule.
