Cunobelinus, king of the Britons

Cunobelinus is the historical basis of Beli son of Manogan. This explanation shows how this error came to be.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunobelinus

Ruler of a large area of southeastern Britain from about AD 10 to 42. He is the Cymbeline in William Shakespeare's play of the same name, although the play's fanciful plot bears no relation to the events in Cunobelinus' career.

Cunobelinus succeeded his father, Tasciovanus, as chief of the Catuvellauni, a tribe centred north of what is now London. Either shortly before or shortly after his accession, Cunobelinus conquered the territory of the Trinovantes, in modern Essex. He made Camulodunum (Colchester) his capital and the seat of his mint. His power and influence were so extensively felt in Britain that the Roman biographer Suetonius referred to him as "Britannorum rex." About Ad 40 Cunobelinus banished his son Adminius, who thereupon fled to Rome and persuaded the emperor Caligula to make preparations to invade Britain. The expedition was assembled, but it never left the continent. After Cunobelinus' death, his two other sons, Caratacus and Togodumnus, displayed the hostility toward Rome that gave the emperor Claudius an excuse to impose Roman rule on the island.

Cymbeline reigned 26 B.C. to 17 A.D., according to one source. Wesbter's Biographical Dictionary (1st Ed.): "Cunobelinus or Cymbeline d. about 43 A.D. British king; ally of Augustus and chief ruler in Britain. Shakespeare's Cymbeline, named for him, is not historical."

Cynfelyn was High King of the Britons in about the year 5. He was also called Cunobelinus (Cymbeline or Kymbelinus, also written Kynobellinus, Κυνοβελλίνος in Greek, sometimes abbreviated to Cunobelin) of the Trinovantes, the most powerful of the Briton tribes. He was a favorite of Caesar Augustus, and this association with the Romans greatly promoted the peace withing Britain and advanced the civilization among his people.

Cynfelyn was a historical king in pre-Roman Britain, known from passing mentions by classical historians Suetonius and Dio Cassius, and from his many inscribed coins. He appears to have controlled a substantial portion of southeastern England, and is called "Britannorum rex" ("king of the Britons") by Suetonius. His name means "hound of (the god) Belenus" or "shining hound."

From numismatic evidence Cynfelyn appears to have taken power around AD 9, minting coins from both Camulodunum (Colchester, capital of the Trinovantes) and Verlamion (later the Roman town of Verulamium, now modern St Albans), capital of the Catuvellauni. He may have been emboldened to act against the Trinovantes by the Roman defeat in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in Germania in AD 9. The Trinovantes were a Roman ally whose independence was protected by a treaty made by Julius Caesar in 54 BC, but problems in Germania severely discouraged Augustus's territorial ambitions and ability to defend allies in Britain.

Cynfelyn appears to have maintained quite good relations with the Roman Empire. He used the title Rex (Latin "king") and classical motifs on his coins, and his reign saw an increase in trade with the continent. Archaeology shows an increase in luxury goods imported from the continent, including Italian wine and drinking vessels, olive oil and fish sauces from Hispania, glassware, jewellery and Gallo-Belgic tableware, which from their distribution appear to have entered Britain via the port of Camulodunum. He was probably one of the British kings that Strabo says sent embassies to Augustus. Strabo reports Rome's lucrative trade with Britain: the island's exports included grain, gold, silver, iron, hides, slaves and hunting dogs.

Cynfelyn had three sons known to history: Adminius, Togodumnus and Caratacus; he also had a brother, Epaticcus, who expanded his influence into the territory of the Atrebates in the early 20s AD, taking the Atrebatan capital Calleva (Silchester) by about 25. He continued to expand his territory until his death in about 35, when Caratacus took over from him and the Atrebates recovered some of their territory.

Cynfelyn died some time before 43. Caratacus completed the conquest of the Atrebates, and their king, Verica, fled to Rome, providing the new Emperor, Claudius, with a pretext for the conquest of Britain. Caratacus and Togodumnus led the initial resistance to the invasion. Dio Cassius tells us that the "Bodunni", a tribe who were tributary to the Catuvellauni, changed sides and supported the Romans. This is probably a misspelling of the Dobunni of Gloucestershire, indicating that Cynfelyn's hegemony extended as far as the West Country.

Cynfelyn's memory was preserved in British legend and beyond. A genealogy preserved in the medieval Welsh manuscript Harleian 3859 contains three generations which read "Caratauc map Cinbelin map Teuhant". This is the equivalent of "Caratacus, son of Cunobelinus, son of Tasciovanus", putting the three historical figures in the correct order, although the wrong historical context, the degree of linguistic change suggesting a long period of oral transmission. The remainder of the genealogy contains the names of a sequence of Roman emperors, and two Welsh mythological figures, Guidgen (Gwydion) and Lou (Lleu).

In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (1136), Cynfelyn appears as Kymbelinus, son of Tenvantius, a powerful warrior who was raised in the courts of Augustus. He was very friendly with the Roman court: his country was equipped with Roman weapons, and all tributes to Rome were paid out of respect, not out of requirement. He had two sons, Guiderius and our ancestor Arvirargus. Guiderius succeeded him, but died in the early stages of Claudius's invasion, leaving Arvirargus to carry on the fight.

Geoffrey's story was incorporated into Raphael Holinshed's Chronicles in 1577, where it was found by William Shakespeare and used as the basis of his romance Cymbeline. Beyond the name there is virtually nothing in common between the figure of Cymbeline and the historical Cynfelyn.

Cynfelyn's name lives on in England today: the group of villages in Buckinghamshire called the Kimbles are said to be named after him. Above them sits the iconic Beacon Hill and the mysterious earth mound of Cymbeline's Mount or Cymbeline's Castle. Local legend and folk tales tell of a great battle fought on its slopes by the king and his sons against the oncoming Roman hordes.

died: 17AD or 41AD

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunobelinus

Ruler of a large area of southeastern Britain from about AD 10 to 42. He is the Cymbeline in William Shakespeare's play of the same name, although the play's fanciful plot bears no relation to the events in Cunobelinus' career.

Cunobelinus succeeded his father, Tasciovanus, as chief of the Catuvellauni, a tribe centred north of what is now London. Either shortly before or shortly after his accession, Cunobelinus conquered the territory of the Trinovantes, in modern Essex. He made Camulodunum (Colchester) his capital and the seat of his mint. His power and influence were so extensively felt in Britain that the Roman biographer Suetonius referred to him as "Britannorum rex." About Ad 40 Cunobelinus banished his son Adminius, who thereupon fled to Rome and persuaded the emperor Caligula to make preparations to invade Britain. The expedition was assembled, but it never left the continent. After Cunobelinus' death, his two other sons, Caratacus and Togodumnus, displayed the hostility toward Rome that gave the emperor Claudius an excuse to impose Roman rule on the island.

Cymbeline reigned 26 B.C. to 17 A.D., according to one source. Wesbter's Biographical Dictionary (1st Ed.): "Cunobelinus or Cymbeline d. about 43 A.D. British king; ally of Augustus and chief ruler in Britain. Shakespeare's Cymbeline, named for him, is not historical."

King of Trinovantes from AD 1 -41 & Catuvfellauni from AD 10-41.

Immortalised by Shakespeare as Cymbeline.

He was educated in Rome by Augustus Caesar and later forestalled the invasion of the British Isles, 30 B.C. King of the Silures in Britain for 35 years, from 8 B.C. to 27 A.D., he made his capital at Colchester and greatly civilized his people. He had as many as eleven children.

General Notes:

Cymbeline was educated in Rome by Augustus Ceasar, and later forestalled the third invasion of the island, B.C. 30. King of the Silures in Britain for 35 years, from B.C. 8 to A .D. 27, he made his capital at Colchester and greatly civilized his people. Geoffrey, A.D. 1142, inhis "British History"

Geoffrey, A.D. 1142, in his "British History" states:

"In his days was born our Lord Jesus Christ."

Shakespeare tells how the two sons of King Cymbeline , Guiderius and ARVIRAGUS in early Childhood were kidnaped by Belarius, out of revenge for being unjustly banished . For twenty years they were brought up in a cave.

When they were grown to manhood, Belarius, having rescued their father from the Romans, was restored to favor, returned the two young men to Cymbeline and told their story, upon which the king rejoiced to find that his two sons, whom he thought dead, were both living.

Cunobeline or Cunobelinus (also written Kynobellinus, Κυνοβελλίνος in Greek and sometimes abbreviated to Cunobelin) (late 1st century BC - 40s AD) was a historical king in pre-Roman Britain, known from passing mentions by classical historians Suetonius and Dio Cassius, and from his many inscribed coins. He appears to have controlled a substantial portion of south-eastern England, and is called "Britannorum rex" ("king of the Britons") by Suetonius. He also appears in British legend as Cynfelyn (Welsh), Kymbelinus (Medieval Brito-Latin) or Cymbeline (Shakespeare, et al.), in which form he is the subject of a play by William Shakespeare. His name is a compound made up of cuno- "hound" and "Belenos" (the god) Belenus".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cunobeline

Cunobelinus (also written Kynobellinus, Cunobelin) (late 1st century BCE - 40s CE) was a historical king of the Catuvellauni tribe of pre-Roman Britain. He also appears in British legend as Cymbeline or Kymbeline (inspiration for William Shakespeare's tragedy, Cymbeline), and in Welsh, Kynvelyn or Cynfelyn. His name means "hound of (the god) Belenus" or "shining hound".

History Cunobelinus's name is known from passing mentions by classical historians Suetonius and Dio Cassius, but most of what we know of his life can only be pieced together from numismatic evidence.

He appears to have taken power in or around 9 AD from his father, Tasciovanus, who had conquered the neighbouring Trinovantes. The combined kingdom was ruled from the former Trinovantian capital, Camulodunum (Colchester), also some coins continued to be minted from Tasciovanus's former capital, Verulamium (St Albans).

He had three notable sons, Adminius, Togodumnus and Caratacus, and a brother, Epaticcus.

Epaticcus expanded his influence into the territory of the Atrebates in the early 20s AD, taking the Atrebatan capital Calleva (Silchester) by about 25. He continued to expand his territory until his death in about 35, when his nephew Caratacus took over from him and the Atrebates recovered some of their territory.

Adminius, judging by his coins, had control of Kent by this time. Suetonius tells us that in ca. 40 he was banished from Britain by his father and sought refuge with the Roman emperor Caligula; Caligula treated this as if the entire island had submitted to him. Other historians tells us that Caligula prepared an invasion of Britain, but abandoned it in farcical circumstances, ordering his soldiers to attack the waves and gather seashells as the spoils of victory.

Cunobelinus died some time before 43. Caratacus completed the conquest of the Atrebates, and their king, Verica, fled to Rome, providing the new emperor, Claudius, with a pretext for the conquest of Britain. Caratacus and Togodumnus led the initial resistance to the invasion.

Cymbeline was a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the son of King Tenvantius.

Geoffrey writes in his Historia Regum Britanniae that Cymbeline was a powerful warrior raised in the courts of Emperor Augustus and his country was equipped with Roman weapons. It continues further stating that Cymbeline was very friendly with the Roman court and all tributes to Rome were paid out of respect, not out of requirement. He had two sons, Guiderius, who succeeded him, and Arvirargus.

A genealogy preserved in the medieval Welsh manuscript Harleian 3859 contains three generations which read "Caratauc map Cinbelin map Teuhant". This is the equivalent of "Caratacus, son of Cunobelinus, son of Tasciovanus", putting the three historical figures in the correct order, although the wrong historical context, the degree of linguistic change suggesting a long period of oral transmission. The remainder of the genealogy contains the names of a sequence of Roman emperors, and two Welsh mythological figures, Guidgen (Gwydion) and Lou (Llew).

Cunobelin's name lives on in England today. The group of villages in Buckinghamshire called the Kimbles are named after him.

From:

http://genealogy.richardremme.com/tng/getperson.php?personID=I10782...

Notes

    Court at Camulod. King Cymberline governed the Belgic tribes of the Catuvellauni and Trinovantes from his seat at Colchester - the most impressive Iron Age fort in the land. Colchester was then called Camulod.

Sources [S395] royal_lineage.ged, June 2006.

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