Aulus Plautius lauded unopposed, marched through the territories of the CLIttivellauni,f gave three defeats to Caractacus and Togodunmus, the two British leaders; but still their retreating army seemed so formidable, that the Roman general sent for reinforcements, and in vited the emperor to come over in person and finish the tear; whilst he himself retreated to the south side of the Thames, and remained on the defensive. The re inforcements which Claudius brought, as may be easily imagined, soon altered the face of affairs ; the southern part of the island submitted, and Aulus Plautius, from being general, was made governor of Britain. His lieu tenant, Vcspasian, reduced the Belgx and Durotriges, from Kent to the land's end, after 30 battles. Plautius, with another division, waged war with the inland Britons under Caractacus, so successfully, that an oration was decreed to him at Rome, in which the emperor walked at his left hand to the capitol.
Ostorius Scapula succeeded in the provincial govern ment of Britain in the year 50. The Britons had taken advantage of a short interval between his succession and the recal of Aulus Plautius, when the lieutenant-gene rals held a joint command, and had plundered the Roman allies ; but Ostorius repelled them with great slaughter, and building a chain of forts along the Nen and the Se vern, commanded all the natives within that pale to give up their arms. The Iceni,* though early allies of Rome, resisted this indignity, and would have been joined by other revolters, had not Ostorius defeated them in their entrenchments. With similar alacrity he overwhelmed the Ceangi near the Irish sea ; then turning upon the Brigantes inhabiting Yorkshire, subdued them also once more to the Roman alliance.
In the mean time Caractacus, who had lost the most of his dominions, had not lost his character or influence among the tribes who had still arms and independence, but at the head of the Silures transferred the war to the mountains of Wales ; and at a place which is supposed to be the confluence of the Colne and Theme, built a stone rampart on a hill commanding a river, dangerous to be forded, where he awaited the attack of the Ro mans. We are not to estimate this ancient patriot by his success. Neither his bravery, nor choice of position, nor the resolution of his followers, who took an oath to die or conquer before they were attacked by the Ro mans, could atone for the difference of arms and disci pline between them and their opponents. The latter,
after fording the river, formed the testudo or military shell over their heads with their shields, through which the missile weapons of the natives could not penetrate as they slowly advanced up the mountain. The rampart of loose stones was soon demolished, and when they closed with their heavy armour against the native ranks, they slaughtered them with scarcely the danger of re ceiving a wound. Caractacus took shelter, after the battle, with Cartismandua, queen of the Brigantes ; but his inhuman step-mother delivered him in chains to the Romans, and the unfortunate hero was destined to enter the Roman capital as a captive, in the same procession with his brothers and wife and daughters, who had been taken at the fatal battle. On entering the imperial pa lace, the British prince calmly expressed his wonder, that the possessor of so much wealth should disturb him in his miserable cottages. The fame of a hero, who had for nine years resisted the Roman arms, was known throughout all Italy, and had attracted the curiosity of the emperor to see him. The barbarous monarch ap peared undaunted before his throne, and addressed him with so much dignity, that even the stupid Claudius was affected, and ordering his fetters to he struck off, treat ed him and his family with distinguished regard.
The Silures beaten, but not yet subdued, rose upon some cohorts, who were building forts in their country, whom they cut to pieces, and once more risked a general engagement. They were defeated, but escaped with out entire rout under cover of night. Continuing from that time their skirmishes and surprises, they gave Ostorius, after all his triumphs, so much vexation, that he died through mental anxiety.
Aulus Didius, his successor, checked the incursions of the Britons, after they had defeated a Roman legion, and become formidable under a new leader worthy of succeeding Caractacus. This was Venuslus, chieftain of the Huiccii.t lie had married Cartismandua, queen of the Brigantes ; but that infamous woman had scanda lised her subjects, by admitting Villocatus, her armour bearer, to her bed and throne, and had implored the aid of the Romans, when the injured husband and his adhe rents turned their arms against the usurper. The event of the civil war was to drive the adultness, the betrayer of Caractacus, from net kingdom, in spite of her Ro man auxiliaries ; and the invaders were, for several years, content to preserve, without extending, their conquests.