Historians say King Verica persuaded Rome to invade Britain. But could Verica actually have been a queen?
Controversial theory that Verica, who incited Emperor Claudius’s AD43 landing, was a woman could put a new spin on British history if true It was a moment that changed the course o
By The Guardian
An Iron Age ruler long described as a king may have been a woman, according to new research from Bournemouth University.
The claim concerns Verica, ruler of the Atrebates tribe in southern Britain. Historical accounts say Verica was forced into exile before appealing to the Roman emperor Claudius for help.
That appeal is believed to have helped prompt the Roman invasion of Britain in AD43, when Roman forces landed in Kent under Claudius.
Dr Miles Russell, director of archaeological fieldwork at Bournemouth University, argues that Verica has been wrongly identified as male. He says the assumption was influenced by the patriarchal views of 19th-century classical historians.
The research draws on archaeological evidence and the interpretation of surviving records and artefacts. Russell says the evidence supports identifying Verica as a female ruler, or “female-king”.
Verica was the child of Commius, an influential ruler linked to the Atrebates. The tribe controlled territory in southern Britain and had connections with the Roman world before the invasion.
Russell said Verica should be remembered as one of Britain’s earliest and most important female leaders.
The argument challenges the traditional account of the events that led to the Roman conquest. If correct, one of the British figures associated with bringing Rome into Britain was not a king, but a queen.
The research has been presented alongside discussion of Russell’s forthcoming book, Caratacus: Great King of Britain.