An historical person with some legendary accretions. Caratacus (sometimes spelled Caractacus) was the king of the Catuvellauni at the time of the Roman invasion under the emperor, Claudius, and was the leader of the anti-Roman campaign. His forces suffered several defeats by the Romans and, after a defeat at the hands of the then governor, Ostorious Scapula, in 51 AD, Caratacus retreated to the land of the Brigantes in northern Britain. Unfortunately for Caratacus, Cartimandua, the Queen of the Brigantes, was bound by a client-ruler relationship with the Romans, so she handed Caratacus over to them.

Caratacus was sent to Rome along with other captives, where he came to Claudius' attention, according to Tacitus, for his courtesy and bearing and so was pardoned. He and his family were permitted to live out their lives in peace in Italy. Some investigators have come to the conclusion that Caratacus is the historic original for King Arthur, while others insist that he and Arviragus are one and the same.

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