While Celtic Britain was a patchwork of tribal states, Caratacus was effectively the king of southern England in the early 1st century, ruling from modern-day Kent in the east to Gloucestershire in the west. While this made him a mighty ruler, it also meant he had a lot to lose when the Romans crossed the Channel in 43 CE.
An invasion force sent by Emperor Claudius landed right in the heart of Caratacus’s territory. To avoid capture, the chieftain fled to Wales. But, while other British tribes capitulated to the new Roman governor Aulus Plautius, Caratacus led the native resistance. For years he fought a mix of pitched battles and guerrilla warfare against the occupying force. But he was finally vanquished around 51 CE in the mountains of northern Wales by Plautius’s successor, Ostorius Scapula.
To add insult to injury, Caratacus was sent to Rome so that he could appear as part of an imperial victory parade. This included an appearance before Claudius, in which the defeated chieftan declared, “If you wish to command everyone, does it really follow that everyone should accept your slavery?” However, in the same speech, he also struck a more conciliatory tone, promising to be an “eternal example of your clemency” if the emperor spared his life, which Claudius did.