Arvirargus
Arvirargus or Arviragus was a legendary British king of the 1st century AD, possibly based upon a real person. A shadowy historical Arviragus is known only from a cryptic reference in a satirical poem by Juvenal, in which a giant turbot presented to the Roman emperor Domitian (81–96 AD) is said to be an omen that "you will capture some king, or Arviragus will fall from his British chariot-pole".[1]
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (1136) presents a legendary Arviragus who is contemporary with the emperor Claudius (41–54 AD).[2][3] However, Geoffrey's work is highly romanticised and contains little trustworthy historical fact, rendering his account of Arvirargus suspect.
According to Geoffrey, Arvirargus is a son of the former king
Following Hamo's death, Arvirargus seeks refuge at
In the following spring, Arvirargus weds Claudius' daughter,
Once a base is established, he marches to Exeter and besieges the city. Arvirargus meets him in battle there and the fight is stalemated. The following morning, Queen Genvissa mediates peace between the two foes. Vespasian returns to Rome and Arvirargus rules the country peacefully for some years. When he finally dies, he is buried in Gloucester, the city he built with Claudius. He is succeeded by his son, Marius.
Geoffrey's legendary Arvirargus appears to correspond to some degree to the historical
Cultural legacy
The just husband in
Arvirargus is a character in
The records of Henry Herbert (Master of the Revels) show that a play called Arviragus was performed at the Court of Charles I on 26 and 27 December 1636.[7]
References
- Satire IV, .126-127
- ^ Geoffrey of Monmouth, Historia Regum Britanniae 4.12-17
- ISBN 0-14-044170-0
- ^ Acton Griscom (1929), The Historiae Regum Britanniae of Geoffrey of Monmouth
- ^ William Shakespeare, Cymbeline.
- ^ "The dramatic records of Sir Henry Herbert, master of the Revels, 1623–1673" (p57) https://archive.org/details/dramaticrecordso00greaiala