Editing Commius (section)

==King in Britain==
By about 30 BC Commius had established himself as king of the Atrebates in Britain, and was issuing coins from [[Calleva Atrebatum]] ([[Silchester]]). It is possible that Commius and his followers founded this kingdom, although the fact that, when Caesar was unable to bring his cavalry to Britain in 55 BC, Commius was able to provide a small detachment of horsemen from his people, suggests that there were already Atrebates in Britain at this time. Coins marked with his name continued to be issued until about 20 BC, and some have suggested, based on the length of his ''floruit'', that there may have been two kings, father and son, of the same name. However, if Commius was a young man when appointed by Caesar he could very well have lived until 20 BC. Some coins of this period are stamped "COM COMMIOS", which, if interpreted as "Commius son of Commius",  would seem to support the two kings theory.<ref>[http://www.roman-britain.co.uk/people/commius/ Commius] and the [http://www.roman-britain.co.uk/tribes/atrebates/ Atrebates] at [http://www.roman-britain.co.uk  Roman-Britain.co.uk ]</ref>

Three later kings, [[Tincomarus]], [[Eppillus]] and [[Verica]], are named on their coins as sons of Commius. From about 25 BC Commius appears to have ruled in collaboration with Tincomarus. After his death Tincomarus appears to have ruled the northern part of the kingdom from Calleva, while Eppillus ruled the southern part from Noviomagus ([[Chichester]]). Eppillus became sole ruler ca. AD 7. Verica succeeded him about 15, and ruled until shortly before the [[Roman conquest of Britain|Roman conquest]] of 43.<ref>John Creighton, ''Coins and power in Late Iron Age Britain'', Cambridge University Press, 2000; [[Philip de Jersey]] (1996), ''Celtic Coinage in Britain'', Shire Archaeology, 1996; [[Sheppard Frere]], ''Britannia: a History of Roman Britain'', third edition, 1987</ref>