Everything about Prasutagus totally explained
Prasutagus was king of a
British Celtic tribe called the
Iceni, who inhabited roughly what is now
Norfolk, in the
1st century AD. He is best known as the husband of
Boudica.
Prasutagus may have been one of the eleven kings who surrendered to
Claudius following the
Roman conquest in 43, or he may have been installed as king following the defeat of a rebellion of the Iceni in 47. In any case, as an ally of
Rome his tribe were allowed to remain nominally independent, and to ensure this Prasutagus named the
Roman emperor as co-heir to his kingdom, along with his two daughters.
Tacitus says he lived a long and prosperous life, but when he died, the Romans ignored his will and took over, depriving the nobles of their lands and plundering the kingdom. Boudica was flogged and their daughters raped. Roman financiers called in their loans. All this led to the revolt of the Iceni, under the leadership of Boudica, in 60 or 61.
Coins have been found in Suffolk inscribed
SVB ESVPRASTO ESICO FECIT, "under Esuprastus Esico made (this)" in
Latin. Some archaeologists believe that Esuprastus was the true name of the king Tacitus calls Prasutagus, while others think he was a different person. Others interpret Esuprastus is a compound name, with "Esu-" deriving from the
god Esus and meaning "lord", "master" or "honour", and "Prasto-" being an abbreviated personal name, the coin inscription thus meaning "under Lord Prasto-". It is also notable that coins of the
Corieltauvi have been found inscribed with the similar names
IISVPRASV and
ESVPASV. The name of an earlier king of the Iceni appears on coins as
SCAVO, a name which may be related to the Latin
scaeva, "left", and
scaevola, "left-handed". Both rulers' coins are similarly Roman in style and language and were probably issued within twenty years of each other. Chris Rudd suggests that Esuprastus, whom he identifies with Prasutagus, succeeded Scavo after the Icenian rebellion of 47.
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