In 57 BC, Caesar defeated the Belgae in battle on the Sabis River, and these tribes became dependent on Rome. Commius, one of the leaders, respected for his courage, was appointed rex of the Atrebates. Caesar appointed him.
Commius ruled quietly, supplying the Roman army with provisions and fulfilling other obligations.
Not long before the events described (two hundred or twenty years before), many Belgae emigrated to Britain. All of today's southern England was populated by Belgae. By 55, all these migrants were already considered Britons. Therefore, Commius did not rule over all the Atrebates, but only those who remained on the mainland.
In 55, Caesar needed Commius as an ambassador. An invasion of Britain was being planned, some of the local leaders were leaning toward accepting Roman rule, and a man was needed to conduct negotiations and prepare the ground. Someone of his own, a Belgic like the southern Britons themselves. Commius set off for the Island.
The mission failed. The Roman emissary was arrested, despite his family ties.
After the landing of the Roman army and the first treaty between Rome and the Britons, Commius was released and arrived at Caesar's camp.
The peace treaty was violated almost immediately, Commius fought in the ranks of the Roman army against the treacherous Britons, commanding a small cavalry detachment.
During Caesar's second invasion of Britain in 54 BC, Commius participated in negotiations with Cassivellaunus and succeeded in achieving a compromise between the Britons and Rome.
Many other events occurred in 54. The Romans subdued the Menapii and seized part of the lands of the Morini. These were also Belgae. It's possible that Commius and his Atrebates were involved in these events—land taken from the Morini was added to his domain. In the winter, some Belgae—the Eburones, Nervii, and others—rebelled against Roman rule. Commius had nothing to do with this, remaining loyal to Rome. The Atrebates were exempt from taxes. For their loyalty.
Everything seems to be going well.
A year later, Commius was accused of conspiracy.
The conspiracy is strange: with whom, why, for what reason, what plans—the Romans won't say. And how was he accused? Summoned to court, arrested? No, they simply decided to kill him, and that's it.
The story is kind of rotten. It's really impossible to figure out who benefits right now, though.
At this time, Julius Caesar was in southern Gaul. The legate Titus Labienus was temporarily in charge in the north. Labienus entrusted the matter to the tribune Gaius Volusenus Quadratus. A handshake greeting was invented for this occasion. The Belgae had already used it, but the Romans had a different approach: the hand extended and raised, as in the Third Reich.
The plan was for Volusenus to grab Commius by the arm, and for one of the centurions to strike him over the head with a sword. But the Atrebatian leader's head proved strong, and, wounded and covered in blood, he managed to break free and escape.
Commius was outraged by the treachery of the savage Romans. He said he never wanted to see another Roman again. There were probably other statements unsuitable for historical writing.
In 52 AD, there was a Gallic revolt. A very serious one, led by Vercingetorix. Almost all the Gallic and Belgic tribes participated. A huge rebel army—350,000 strong, including 100,000 from the garrison of the rebellious city of Alesia. Well, those figures are left to the conscience of historians; we have a different topic today.
Commius commanded a huge allied army that attempted to attack the Romans from outside and lift the siege of Alesia.
The Gauls and Belgae suffered defeat. Commius retreated back to Belgica, recruited five hundred Germans in addition to the Atrebates, and began a guerrilla war. In one battle, he came face to face with Volusenus and wounded him in the thigh with a spear. This was certainly a major advantage, but overall, the rebellious Atrebates were repeatedly routed and, by and large, doomed.
Commius entered into negotiations with Mark Antony, who commanded the Roman forces in the province at the time. An agreement was reached. Commius pledged to cease his sabotage, while Antony promised him and his comrades unhindered passage to faraway places where they could live peacefully, free from the wicked Romans.
Commius went to the British Atrebates. They lived slightly west of present-day London. There is evidence that they had at least one city, somewhere in the area of present-day Chichester.
Commius, with a small but battle-hardened retinue, arrived among his Atrebates kinsmen. He faced no competition in the next royal election. Arguments such as his illustrious name, his good word, and the swords of his warriors left no room for doubt.
The construction of a formal state began. Commius founded a new capital, the city of Calleva (now Silchester). It was the first city in Britain built according to a pre-planned plan. The Atrebates' state had access to the English Channel; archaeologists believe their main occupation was the import of wine and olive oil from Europe.
Commius ruled for fifteen or twenty years. The name “Commius, son of Commius” already appears on gold staters from 30 BC.
Around 20 BC, Tincomarus, grandson of Commius, became king of the Atrebates. He effectively ruled only the southern part of the kingdom, while his brother Eppylus ruled in Calleva and the surrounding area.
The Atrebates split into several factions. Some favored collaboration with Rome, others advocated complete isolation, and still others broke away altogether and formed the state of the Dobunni.
In 7 AD, Eppylus overthrew his elder brother and declared himself king of all the Atrebates. Tincomar rushed to Rome to ask Augustus for help. But the emperor had other problems at the time.
In 15 CE, Eppylus, oddly enough, became king of the Cantii, leaving the Atrebates in the hands of his younger brother, Verica. Perhaps together they overthrew and exiled the Cantii king, and divided the spoils.
The idyll lasted for ten years.
In the 25th century, the Catuvellauni king Cunobellinus decided to conquer the Universe. He captured Kent and drove out Eppila.
That same year, Cunobelinus conquered the lands of the Atrebates and installed his brother Epaticcus as king. The exiled Verica waged a guerrilla war, but without much success.
In the 40th year, Cunobelin's son Caratacus reached Verica, defeated it in battle and drove it out completely.
Where should the deposed king of the Britons go? To Rome, of course, to complain to the next emperor.
Verika was in the right place at the right time. Claudius was just itching to perform military feats, and here—if not a reason, then a plausible excuse.
