Isurium Brigantum

Isurium Brigantum, one of the northernmost urban centres of the Roman Empire was probably founded in the late first century or early second century. The Roman civitas was the administrative centre of the Brigantes tribe, the largest and most northerly tribe in Roman Britain. Roman towns such as Exeter, Leicester, Chichester and Canterbury had the same status as Isurium. Tacitus recorded that Isuer was the seat of Venutius, king of the Brigantes who was usurped from power by his wife, Cartismandua and her lover Volucatus at the beginning of the first century. Cartismandua welcomed the Romans who perceived little threat from the Brigantes and the Roman army focused its occupation to the south…