Cartimandua
| Cartimandua | |
|---|---|
| Queen of the Brigantes | |
"Caractacus, King of the Silures, deliver'd up to Ostorius, the Roman General, by Cartismandua, Queen of the Brigantes." – print by F. Bartolozzi, British Museum | |
| Queen of the Brigantes | |
| Reign | before AD 51 – AD 69 |
| Successor | Venutius |
| Co-ruler | Venutius (until divorce) Vellocatus (from remarriage) |
| Born | c. 1st century AD |
| Died | after AD 69 |
| Spouse | Venutius (divorced) Vellocatus |
Cartimandua or Cartismandua (reigned c. AD 43 – c. 69) was a 1st-century queen of the Brigantes, a Celtic people living in what is now northern England. She is known through the writings of Roman historian Tacitus.
She came to power during the time period that Rome was campaigning against Britain. She was widely influential during her reign. As ruler of the Brigantes, she united various British tribes that eventually surrendered their loyalty to Rome.
Cartimandua is portrayed notoriously in Tacitus's account of her. She is recorded betraying the Celtic chieftain Caratacus, insincerely offering him sanctuary, but instead turning him in to the Romans in exchange for wealth. She also is recorded as having divorced her consort and replacing him with a common military man. She subsequently was engaged in extended military conflict with her ex-consort as he staged revolts against her multiple times, and she eventually lost to him.