Commius of the Atrebates

Biography

Commius of the Atrebates had a stranger relationship with Caesar than almost any other Gallic leader: he was Caesar's most trusted Gallic ambassador, sent on diplomatic missions to Britain before both invasions, rewarded with the kingship of his tribe at Caesar's gift, and then — after learning that Caesar had secretly ordered him assassinated — became one of the most implacable enemies of Rome in the final years of the Gallic Wars. The assassination attempt came in 53 BC, during a Roman reconciliation conference. Caesar's legate Volusenus was tasked with killing Commius while shaking his hand — a sword blow to the head that nearly worked. Commius survived with a serious wound, swore he would never again see a Roman face, and joined the revolt of 52 BC. He commanded the Gallic cavalry at Alesia — the vast relief army's most mobile force — and nearly broke Caesar's outer ring in the final assault. After Alesia's fall he continued resistance in the north with the Bellovaci tribe until 51 BC, when he negotiated a remarkable surrender: he would submit to Rome on condition that he never be required to appear before any Roman officer in person. Caesar, apparently respecting the terms of someone he had tried to murder, accepted. Commius subsequently crossed to Britain, where he had made political friends during Caesar's invasions, and founded a dynasty that ruled parts of southern Britain for decades. His sons appear on coins minted in southern Britain into the early Roman period — an extraordinary survival for a man Rome had tried to assassinate.

Key Battles