The facts about Cartismandua (or Cartimanda) are few, yet her reputation as a disreputable woman rests on them.

    Cartismandua was ruler of the Brigante people during the Roman occupation of Britain.  I am not sure when, but she was not a contemporary of Queen Boudicca.  During Cartismandua's reign the Brigante enjoyed years of peace.  Her husband attempted to out her but he did not have the support of the Romans.  She had an affair with the young man who was her husband's shield bearer.  When the Welsh rebel leader, Caractacus, took refuge with her, she gave him up to the Romans and he was taken in custody to Rome.

    These few bare facts condemn her as an adulterous, traitorous collaborator; that is certainly the way that most historians paint her.  Though it is uncertain whether they despise her more for her co-operation with the enemy or for her affair.  But in order to condemn her, they judge her through twentieth century eyes.

    To take the "least" of her crimes, Cartismandua is the victim of that double standard.  No matter how many or how varied their bed partners, men are just good old boys and real men to boot.  As the representative of the goddess Epona -- even the name Cartismandua means "white pony" -- the power of succession would lie through the female line.  It is reasonable to assume that she would have married a man chosen for her and not necessarily a man that she loved or even liked.  It was common and even acceptable, for men in that position to take lovers, so why not the Queen?

    To judge Cartismandua guilty of collaboration depends on whether or not one views the Romans as the enemy.  But one must understand that Britain as always under occupation by one foreign born race or another.  Even the Celts were not native to Britain and had taken the land from others.  Each occupying force left behind some measure of civilization, improving the lives fo the people.

    The Romans took slaves and towards the end of the empire, they were a blood-thirsty people.  But in the main, they treated their captured territories reasonably well.  Native religions were allowed to flourish -- in fact the Romans often adopted indigenous beliefs.  It is not impossible to assume that Cartismandua and her advisors saw that co-operation with this vast and powerful invader would ensure that the Brigante would survive.  One would like to imagine that, as a woman, she understood that rebellion would lead to destruction and that war is neither honourable nor noble.  (Which theory, of course, does not explain why Queen Boudicca thought differently!)

    Which leads to her third "crime", turning Caractacus over to the Romans.  An agitator, a dangerous man, who, if successful in persuading her people to join his revolt, could destroy all that she had achieved.  If Caractacus had suffered from Cartismandua's betrayal, then one would have sympathy for him.  But he and his family were taken to Rome as honoured guests, where he so impressed Caesar that he was given a villa, money and slaves of his own.  As soon as he was given a taste of all that Roman life had to offer, he soon forgot his high ideals.

   Of course, all of this is pure supposition, one woman to another.  But then al the leaned historians have to go on is rumours and the same few facts.  So my conclusions are likely to be as valid and as worthless as theirs.  But if anyone has any more information on this elusive woman, please do tell me!