Was there a Kingdom of Britain before Caesar?
I was just wondering about this, having looked into some hitherto unknown to me sources. One of these is the Holinshed's Chronicles. In this there is a list of kings of Britain, predating Casar's invasion. The Chronicles even point out this dichotomy of histories when they deal with the King Cassibellane (clearly Cassivelaunus).
Now, there are some glaring inconsistencies - such as Nenius, the brother of Cassibellane having slewn Labienus during Caesar's first 'invasion' - but there are, apparently, various sources from whence these histories come - including a source from Scottish historians regarding the King of the "Albanians"?! (Albions?)(and these I am going to seek out, though likely they will be difficult to find) and some of it just makes, to my mind, sense.
Caesar's recount of this first visit to ritain even reads like someone covering up a defeat - and that's what the chronicles say he faced, a crushing defeat. This makes sense of the reaction of the Gauls on his return; emboldened by the news of their defeat they surround the Roman army and demand that they put down their weapons...
Had Caesar sent envoys to destabilise the Kingdom prior to his invasion? Is that why Commius was arrested? It seems strange that certain tribes were so quick to come to Caesar with hostages....
So, I wonder whether he had offered these tribes independence from the 'legal' overlordship of the Cassivellaunus (likely a title rather than a name..) - perhaps seeking out the Casse themselves first off. Were these tribal leaders and nobles looking to Rome to exert their power over a direct kingship? That would explain a number of things. First off, why Cassivelaunus attacked and slew Imanuentius of the Trinovantes - enforcing the law in a typically Celtic manner, and why Mandubracius then went to Caesar for aid.
This would explain the appearance of the Catuvellauni (the followers or smiters of Vellaunus), as what we might regard as a proto regnal loyalist faction, and why there are (as quoted on EB) references to Cassivellaunus as the true or rightful king of Britain...
Just thought I'd share what I've gleened so far, and hpe for some discussion on this subject.
As a sidenote, it also refers to Kymbeline/Cymbeline (Cunobelin) as having been brought up in Rome....
Sorry, should have posted this earlier; a great on-line resource for the Holinshed Chronicles at http://www.english.ox.ac.uk/holinshed/
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