Tincomarus

Last updated
Stater of Tincomarus, king of the Atrebates. Tincomarus stater.jpg
Stater of Tincomarus, king of the Atrebates.

Tincomarus (a dithematic name form typical of insular and continental Celtic onomastics, analysable as tinco-, perhaps a sort of fish [cf Latin tinca, English tench] + maro-, "big") was a king of the Iron Age Belgic tribe of the Atrebates who lived in southern central Britain shortly before the Roman invasion. His name was previously reconstructed as Tincommius, based on abbreviated coin legends and a damaged mention in Augustus's Res Gestae , but since 1996 coins have been discovered which give his full name. [1]

Contents

He was the son and heir of Commius and succeeded his father around 25-20 BC. Based on coin distribution it is possible that Tincomarus ruled in collaboration with his father for the last few years of Commius's life. [2] Little is known of his reign although numismatic evidence suggests that he was more sympathetic to Rome than his father was in later years: the coins he issued much more closely resemble Roman types, and are made in such a way they may have come from Roman die-cutters. GC Boon has suggested that this technical advance was not limited to coinage and represents wider industrial assistance from the Roman Empire. [3] Tincomarus's successors used the term rex on their coins and this indicates that Tincomarus had begun the process of achieving client kingdom status with Rome (see Roman client kingdoms in Britain). [4]

John Creighton argues, based on the imagery used on his coins, that Tincomarus may have been brought up as an obses (diplomatic hostage) in Rome in the early years of Augustus's reign. He compares Tincomarus's coins to those of Juba II of Numidia, who is known to have been an obses, and identifies a coin found in Numidia which may bear the name of Tincomarus's younger brother Verica. [5]

Juba of Mauretania 48 BC - AD 23 and Tincomarus the Atrebatian 20 BC - 7AD from numismatic evidence appear to have been client Kings of Rome and Tincomarus a possible OBSES diplomatic hostages. Juba II was the only child and heir of King Juba I of Numidia; his mother's identity is unknown. In 46 BC, his father was defeated by Julius Caesar in Thapsus, North Africa and in 40 BC Numidia became a Roman province. (Roller, Duane W. 2003) His father had been an ally of the Roman General Pompey. Tincomarus father Commius the Atrebatian was defeated by Julius Caesar in 51BC in Gallia Belgica, Commius offered hostages and promised he would live where he was told and no longer resist Caesar, on the condition that he never again had to meet a Roman. Mark Antony granted his petition. (Hirtius, De Bello Gallico 8.47-48) King tincomarus obses diplomatic hostage by commius df8wdfc.png
Juba of Mauretania 48 BC – AD 23 and Tincomarus the Atrebatian 20 BC – 7AD from numismatic evidence appear to have been client Kings of Rome and Tincomarus a possible OBSES diplomatic hostages. Juba II was the only child and heir of King Juba I of Numidia; his mother's identity is unknown. In 46 BC, his father was defeated by Julius Caesar in Thapsus, North Africa and in 40 BC Numidia became a Roman province. (Roller, Duane W. 2003) His father had been an ally of the Roman General Pompey. Tincomarus father Commius the Atrebatian was defeated by Julius Caesar in 51BC in Gallia Belgica, Commius offered hostages and promised he would live where he was told and no longer resist Caesar, on the condition that he never again had to meet a Roman. Mark Antony granted his petition. (Hirtius, De Bello Gallico 8.47-48)

By 16 BC Roman pottery and other imports appear in considerable quantities at Tincomarus's capital of Calleva Atrebatum, today known as Silchester, and it is likely that the Atrebatic king had established trading and diplomatic links with Augustus.

Tincomarus was expelled by his subjects for unknown reasons around AD 8 and fled to Rome as a refugee and supplicant. He was replaced by his brother Eppillus whom Augustus chose to recognise as rex rather than depose and reinstate Tincomarus. [6] Augustus may have planned to use his ally's ejection as an excuse to invade Britain but other, more pressing foreign policy matters probably persuaded him to postpone the move.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denarius</span> Ancient Roman coin

The denarius was the standard Roman silver coin from its introduction in the Second Punic War c. 211 BC to the reign of Gordian III, when it was gradually replaced by the antoninianus. It continued to be minted in very small quantities, likely for ceremonial purposes, until and through the Tetrarchy (293–313).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juba II</span> King of Numidia and Mauretania (c. 48 BC - AD 23)

Juba II or Juba of Mauretania was the son of Juba I and client king of Numidia and Mauretania. Aside from his very successful reign, he was a highly respected scholar and author. His first wife was Cleopatra Selene II, daughter of Queen Cleopatra VII of Ptolemaic Egypt and Roman Triumvir Mark Antony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ptolemy of Mauretania</span> Roman Client King of Mauretania (r. AD 20-40)

Ptolemy of Mauretania was the last Roman client king and ruler of Mauretania for Rome. He was the son of Juba II, the king of Numidia and a member of the Berber Massyles tribe, as well as a descendant of the Ptolemaic dynasty via his mother Cleopatra Selene II.

The Atrebates were a Belgic tribe of the Iron Age and the Roman period, originally dwelling in the Artois region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catuvellauni</span> Celtic tribe

The Catuvellauni were a Celtic tribe or state of southeastern Britain before the Roman conquest, attested by inscriptions into the 4th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cunobeline</span> 1st-century pre-Roman British king

Cunobeline was a king in pre-Roman Britain from about AD 9 until about AD 40. He is mentioned in passing by the classical historians Suetonius and Dio Cassius, and many coins bearing his inscription have been found. He controlled a substantial portion of south-eastern Britain, including the territories of the Catuvellauni and the Trinovantes, and is called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. He appears to have been recognized by Roman emperor Augustus as a client king, as testified by the use of the Latin title Rex on his coins. Cunobeline appears in British legend as Cynfelyn (Welsh), Kymbelinus or Cymbeline, as in the play by William Shakespeare.

Togodumnus was king of the British Catuvellauni tribe, whose capital was at St. Albans, at the time of the Roman conquest. He can probably be identified with the legendary British king Guiderius. He is usually thought to have led the fight against the Romans alongside his brother, but to have been killed early in the campaign. However, some authorities now argue that he sided with the Romans and is one and the same person as the client-king Tiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, whose original name may have been Togidubnus or Togodumnus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tasciovanus</span> Late 1st century BC king of the Catuvellauni tribe

Tasciovanus was a historical king of the Catuvellauni tribe before the Roman conquest of Britain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Verica</span> British Roman client king

Verica was a British client king of the Roman Empire in the years preceding the Claudian invasion of 43 AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commius</span> King of Atrebates tribe

Commius was a king of the Belgic nation of the Atrebates, initially in Gaul, then in Britain, in the 1st century BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman client kingdoms in Britain</span>

The Roman client kingdoms in Britain were native tribes which chose to align themselves with the Roman Empire because they saw it as the best option for self-preservation or for protection from other hostile tribes. Alternatively, the Romans created some client kingdoms when they felt influence without direct rule was desirable. Client kingdoms were ruled by client kings. In Latin these kings were referred to as rex sociusque et amicus, which translates to "king, ally, and friend". The type of relationships between client kingdoms and Rome was reliant on the individual circumstances in each kingdom.

Eppillus was the name of a Roman client king of the Atrebates tribe of the British Iron Age. He appears to have ruled part of the territory that had previously been held by Commius, the Gaulish former ally of Julius Caesar who fled to Britain following the uprising of Vercingetorix, or possibly of his son. Eppillus is not mentioned in any historical sources. Coins bearing his name also bear the inscription COMMI.FILI which is generally read as Commios filius indicating at least a claim to be Commius's son.

Dubnovellaunus or Dumnovellaunus was the name of at least one, and possibly several kings of south-eastern Britain in the late 1st century BC/early 1st century AD, known from coin legends and from a mention in the Res Gestae Divi Augusti.

Claudia Rufina was a woman of British descent who lived in Rome c. 90 AD and was known to the poet Martial. Martial refers to her in Epigrams XI:53, describing her as "caeruleis [...] Britannis edita". He praises her for her beauty, education and fertility.

Erato was a queen of Armenia from the Artaxiad dynasty. She co-ruled as Roman client queen in 8–5 BC and 2 BC–AD 1 with Tigranes IV. After living in political exile for a number of years, she co-ruled as Roman client queen from 6 until 12 with Tigranes V, her distant paternal relative and possible second husband. She may be viewed as one of the last hereditary rulers of her nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigranes V of Armenia</span> Roman Client King of Armenia (16 BC-36 AD) (r. 6 AD-12 AD)

Tigranes V, also known as Tigran V was a Herodian Prince who ruled as a Roman Client King of Armenia from 6 AD to 12 AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigranes IV</span> King of Armenia

Tigranes IV was a Prince of the Kingdom of Armenia and member of the Artaxiad Dynasty who served as a Roman Client King of Armenia from 8 BC until 5 BC and 2 BC until 1 AD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Artavasdes IV</span> King of Armenia

Artavasdes IV of Armenia; also known as Artavasdes II of Atropatene; Artavasdes II of Media Atropatene and Armenia Major; Artavasdes II, and Artavasdes was an Iranian prince who served as King of Media Atropatene. During his reign of Media Atropatene, Artavasdes also served as a Roman Client King of Armenia Major.

Dynamis, nicknamed Philoromaios, was a Roman client queen of the Bosporan Kingdom during the Late Roman Republic and part of the reign of Augustus, the first Roman Emperor. Dynamis is an ancient Greek name which means the “powerful one”. She was a monarch of Iranian and Greek Macedonian ancestry. She was the daughter of King Pharnaces II of Pontus and his Sarmatian wife. She had an older brother called Darius and a younger brother called Arsaces. Her paternal grandparents had been the monarchs of the Kingdom of Pontus, Mithridates VI of Pontus and his first wife Laodice, who was also his sister. Dynamis married three times. Her husbands were Asander, a certain Scribonius and Polemon I of Pontus. According to Rostovtzeff, she also had a fourth husband, Aspurgos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Celtic currency of Britain</span> Ancient British currency

The Celtic currency of Britain were the various items and coins used as currency between approximately 200 BC and AD 60. The earliest currency consisted of various forms of iron bars. Coins were first imported in large numbers in around 150 BC and domestic minting began around 100BC. Coin production was largely ended by the Roman conquest of Britain, first by the Claudian invasion of AD 43 and later by the Defeat of Boudica in AD 60 or 61. Cast coins may have been produced for a few more years around Hengistbury Head. Exact dating of coins often changes in the light of new research.

References

Citations

  1. Cheesman 1998, p. 312.
  2. Creighton 2000, p. 78.
  3. Creighton 2000, p. 120.
  4. Creighton 2000, pp. 216–217.
  5. Creighton 2000, pp. 92-93 & 120-121.
  6. Frere & Millett 2012.

Bibliography

  • Augustus, Res Gestae Divi Augusti
  • Creighton, John (6 July 2000). Coins and Power in Late Iron Age Britain. Cambridge University Press. ISBN   978-1-139-43172-9.
  • Cheesman, C. E. A. (1998). "Tincomarus Commi Filius". Britannia. 29: 309–315. doi:10.2307/526822.
  • Frere, Sheppard S.; Millett, Martin J. (2012). "Tincomarus". The Oxford Classical Dictionary (4 ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.013.6476. ISBN   9780199545568.