Mandubracius

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Mandubracius or Mandubratius , erroneously also Androgeus , Welsh Afarwy , was a king of the Trinovanten , a tribe in south-east England , in the 1st century BC. Chr.

History and legend

Mandubracius was the son of the Trinovanten king Imanuentius, who had been overthrown and murdered by the British chief Cassivellaunus . Thereupon Mandubracius fled to Gaul under the protection of Caesar some time before the latter translated to Britain (54 BC). When Cassivellaunus organized the defense against the Romans, the Trinovantes and tribes friends with them revealed his whereabouts, whereupon he was successfully besieged by Caesar. Cassivellaunus had to undertake at his surrender to recognize Mandubracius as King of the Trinovantes and to allow him to rule in peace.

In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae ("History of the Kings of Britain") Cassivellaunus is the regent for his nephew Androgeus. The figure of Androgeus is to be equated with Mandubracius, the name change is apparently based on a copying error that happened in Orosius ( Historiarum adversum paganos libri VII. ) And was adopted by Geoffrey. An influence of Geoffrey by the Greek legendary figure Androgeos is believed to be possible. Orosius mistakenly introduced Aragius, a previous ruler of Britain, into this story. Here Cassivellaunus and Androgeus / Mandubracius fight together against the Romans until they fall out over the murder of a relative. Androgeus flees to Caesar, who defeats Cassivellaunus, makes peace and returns to Rome. Androgeus follows him there and does not return to Britain.

In the Welsh translation of Geoffrey's work, Brut y Brenhinedd , and in the Trioedd Ynys Prydein ("The Triads of the Isle of Britain") Cassivellaunus is called Caswallawn and Androgeus is called Afarwy . He is referred to as one of the three "dishonorable men of the island of Britain" for calling on Caesar to invade Britain.

The American historian John T. Koch suspects Mandubracius to be the historical basis for the Welsh mythological figure Manawydan . He derives the name from * Mannue: tios and * Mannue: tiagnos ("son of Mannuetios").

See also

literature

  • Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. 2nd, corrected and enlarged edition. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Caesar, Gallic War 5, 20, 1-4; Orosius 6, 9, 8.
  2. ↑ Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. 1997, p. 212 ff.
  3. ^ John T. Koch: A Welsh Window on the Iron Age: Manawydan, Mandubracios. In: Cambridge Medieval Celtic Studies. Vol. 14, 1987, ISSN  0260-5600 , pp. 17-52.
personal data
SURNAME Mandubracius
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mandubratius; Androgeus; Afarwy
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British chief
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH 1st century BC Chr.