Pre-Roman Celtic Kingdoms

Tribe of the Dobunni

The Dobunni territory lay west of the Catuvellauni, in north Wiltshire and south Gloucestershire, but they later expanded into west Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, northeast Somerset, Avon, parts of Hereford & Worcester, and Warwickshire. They were a non-Belgic people who were organised round an impressive series of hill forts, but who were showing considerable signs of Belgic influence.

By the first century (circa 35 BC) their border reached that of the Atrebates, and the coinage of both kingdoms seems to be found in parallel, although the Dobunni ejected the Romanised Atrebatean coins which appeared from 30/20 BC. By AD20/25, the Dobunni were also bordering the powerful Catuvellauni, although they seem to have been on friendly terms with them.

(Additional information taken from The Oxford History of England: Roman Britain, Peter Salway.)

by AD 43

The tribe had divided in two. The north-eastern part, stretching from the southern side of the Stroud Valley to north-east Gloucestershire and west Oxfordshire, is issuing Romanised coinage. In Avon and south Gloucestershire, the remnant is issuing coins of a native type. The suggestion is that the Catuvellauni have gained some sort of control over the north-eastern section of the Dobunni by this stage.

fl AD 43

Bodvoc

King of the north-eastern Dobunni.

fl AD 43

Corio

King of the south-western Dobunni.

43

With the defeat of the Catuvellauni by the Romans, part of the Dobunni appear to surrender themselves to the Roman commander, Aulus Plautius, by means of envoys. It seems likely that the surrender is made by Bodvoc in defiance of his Catuvellaunian overlords.

43 - 47?

There is reason to believe that the ex-Catuvellaunian king, and High King, Caratacus, shelters with the remaining anti-Roman section of the Dobunni. By AD 47 the area is almost certainly included in the occupied or supervised Roman territory so perhaps this forces him to join the Silures.