The history of England, from the earliest times to the Norman ConquestHodgkin, Thomas
History
The history of England, from the earliest times to the Norman Conquest
Hodgkin, Thomas
Great Britain -- History -- To 1066
Actual coins of Commius are, it must be admitted, not too certainly
extant, but the large number of coins struck by three British kings who
are proud to proclaim themselves his sons, clearly attest his existence
and justify us in attributing to him considerable importance. These
three British kings were Tincommius, Verica and Eppillus, and their
dominions stretched from Hampshire to Kent. Their reigns probably
occupied the last thirty years before the Christian era, and their
coins exhibit an increasing tendency towards Roman manners and Roman
art. The old barbaric survivals of the Macedonian effigies gradually
disappear; classical profiles are introduced and the cornucopiæ, the
eagle and the lion sometimes make their appearance.
A British prince who was apparently a contemporary and a neighbour,
possibly a rival of the family of Commius, was named Dubnovellaunus.
The obverse of his coins shows a remarkable similarity to some of
those of the just-mentioned King Eppillus. But the interesting fact
in connexion with this otherwise unknown British chieftain is that a
monument in the heart of Asia Minor preserves his name and records
his dealings with the Roman Imperator. In the Turkish town of Angora
on the side of a desolate Galatian hill stand the ruins of the marble
temple of Augustus and Rome: and on the walls of the porch of that
temple is a long bilingual inscription, recording in Latin and Greek
the most memorable events of the fifty-eight years’ reign of the
fortunate Augustus. Towards the end we find this passage: “To me fled
as suppliant the Kings of the Parthians Tiridates and afterwards
Phraates, Artaxares, son of Phraates, King of the Medes: the Kings of
the Britons Dumnobellaunus and Tim ...” (the end of the last name being
obliterated). It is not likely that if there had been many similar
instances of British princes imploring the protection of Augustus they
would have been left unrecorded in the monument of Angora; and it is
therefore probably with some little courtly exaggeration that the
contemporary geographer Strabo says: “Certain of the rulers of that
country [Britain] by embassies and flattering attentions have gained
the friendship of Cæsar Augustus and made votive offerings in the
capital and have now rendered almost the whole island subject to the
Romans”. This is certainly untrue. “The taxes which they bear are in no
wise heavy and are levied on imports and exports between Britain and
Gaul. The articles of this commerce are ivory rings and necklaces, and
amber and vessels of glass and all such trumpery. It is not therefore
desirable to put a garrison in the island, for it would require at
least one legion and some cavalry in order to ensure the collection of
the tribute, and the expense of keeping up such a force would equal the
revenue received, since it would be necessary to lessen the customs
duties if you were also levying tribute and there would be always a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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