Notes for Tasciovanos of BRITONS


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Catuvellauni, Tasciovanus, "Hidden Faces" gold stater.
Obv: stylized crescents and wreaths with hidden faces.
Rev: Celtic warrior on horse right, carrying carnyx.

Coin of Tasciovanus, king of the Catuvellauni.
Tasciovanus (died c. 9 AD) was a historical king of the Catuvellauni tribe
before the Roman conquest of Britain.

Contents
1	History
2	Medieval traditions
3	References
4	External links
History
Tasciovanus is known only through numismatic evidence. He appears to have
become king of the Catuvellauni c. 20 BC, ruling from Verlamion (the site of
modern-day St Albans). He is believed to have moved the tribal capital to that
site from an earlier settlement, near modern-day Wheathampstead.[citation
needed] For a brief period c. 15-10 BC he issued coins from Camulodunum
(Colchester), apparently supplanting Addedomarus of the Trinovantes. After
this he once again issued his coins from Verlamion, now bearing the legend
RICON, for *Rigonos, Common Brittonic for "great/divine/legitimate king". Some
of his coins bear other abbreviated names such as "DIAS", "SEGO" and "ANDOCO":
these are generally considered to be the names of co-rulers or subordinate
kings, but may instead be mint-marks. He died c. AD 9, succeeded by his son
Cunobeline, who ruled primarily from Camulodunum. Another son, Epaticcus,
expanded his territory westwards into the lands of the Atrebates.[1]

Medieval traditions

An Iron Age Gold quarter Stater of the Kent Region / Cantiaci, struck in the
name of Tasciovanus, dating to the period c.AD 5-15, 'Sego Tascio Tablet'
type.
A genealogy preserved in the medieval Welsh manuscript Harleian 3859 (see
Harleian genealogies) contains three generations which read "Caratauc map
Cinbelin map Teuhant". This is the equivalent of "Caratacus, son of
Cunobelinus, son of Tasciovanus", putting the three historical figures in the
correct order, although the wrong historical context, the degree of linguistic
change suggesting a long period of oral transmission. The remainder of the
genealogy contains the names of a sequence of Roman emperors, and two Welsh
mythological figures, Guidgen (Gwydion) and Lou (Lleu).[2]

He appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (1136) as the
legendary king Tenvantius, son of Lud. When his father died, he and his older
brother Androgeus were still minors, so the kingship of Britain was given to
their uncle Cassibelanus. Tenvantius was made Duke of Cornwall, and
participated in his uncle's defence of Britain against Julius Caesar.
Androgeus went to Rome with Caesar, so when Cassibelanus died, Tenvantius
succeeded him as king. He was in turn succeeded by his son Kimbelinus
(Cunobeline), who had been brought up at the court of Augustus.[3]

In Middle Welsh versions of Geoffrey's Historia his name appears as Teneufan
and Trahayant.[4]

He under the name of Tenewan ap Lludd (Geoffrey of Monmouth's Tenvantius
Welshified) is claimed as a paternal ancestor in the Mostyn Ms. 117 by the
Mathrafal Dynasty(The Lleision Tribal Princes) and therefore subsequently the
Kings of Rhwng Gwy Y Hafren (The
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