In the early first century, a mighty king ruled the Atrebates tribe located in southern Britain: King Verica, son of Commius. As a client king of the Roman Empire, King Verica had a powerful ally in Emperor Claudius, who, in turn, enjoyed a foothold on the island. So when King Verica was exiled around 40 CE, it offered a pretext for Claudius to invade Britain (according to writings by the Roman historian Cassius Dio), sparking a campaign that would ultimately lead to the Roman conquest of Britain.
There’s just one problem with Dio’s story. King Verica wasn’t the son of Commius, she was the daughter of Commius—Verica was a female king. Or at least that’s the case archaeologist Miles Russell of Bournemouth University makes in a newly published book Caratacus: Great King of Britain.
Read more: “Mass Grave of Women and Children Shows Brutality of Iron Age Culture”
“Verica is assumed to have been male because of the patriarchal mindset of 19th century, classical historians,” Russell explained in a statement. “Verica wasn’t only critical to the special relationship between Britain and Rome in the early first century AD but was indisputably female.”
According to Russell, one of the most obvious clues is her name. Verica ends in an “a” like the names of other indisputably female figures at the time (including Boudica, who led a failed rebellion against conquering Roman forces later on).
The gender confusion centers, in part, around the word “rex” imprinted on coinage bearing Verica’s name which were found littered around Hampshire and Sussex where her tribe lived. Russell says Roman leaders tolerated and recognized female kings, and the term “rex” was a gender-neutral appellation. “The use of the Latin title rex on coins shows that Verica ruled with the full authorization of the emperor,” Russell explained.
And the coins contain more clues as well. The backs of the currency are stamped with the letters “COMF,” which historians initially read as an abbreviation of Commios filius, “son of Commios.” Russell points out they could just as easily be an abbreviation of Commios filia, “daughter of Commios.” Finally, the fronts of the coins depict a slender, bare-breasted woman—a pretty big sign Verica was female.
Of course, the revelation that Verica was a woman isn’t just a minor bit of historical trivia, it also provides important context for understanding of Emperor Claudius and the conquest of Britain. Claudius, a limping stutterer who suffered sickness early in life, was mocked by Cassius Dio and other writers as a weak leader who was easily swayed by wives. Verica being a woman obviously fits neatly with this reputation.
“The story of Claudius committing to something only because a woman told him to fits the trope of this emperor as being submissive and henpecked,” Russell said. “In effect, Dio was saying that the campaign was undertaken solely because of the whisperings of a barbarian femme fatale.”
It also casts the actions of both the female king and her powerful ally in a more strategic light. “The invasion was Claudius’ great triumph—it being the only chance he had to prove he was a successful military leader,” Russell said. “Verica provided the excuse for regime change and the emperor seized it.”
All that’s left is for someone to head over to Wikipedia to change Verica’s pronouns.
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Lead Image: Geni / Wikimedia Commons
