During the Roman conquest of northern Britain in the 1st century, Venutius reigned as the king of the Brigantes. It has been speculated that he could have been a member of the Carvetii tribe, which was likely one of the groups that comprised the Brigantes confederation.
Venutius was the consort of Cartimandua, queen of the Brigantes, possibly since before she became a client of Claudius in 43AD.
Venutius of the Brigantes, as I have already mentioned, was pre-eminent in military skill; he had long been loyal to Rome and had been defended by our arms while he was united in marriage to the queen Cartismandua.
Cornelius Tacitus – The Annals, Book 12, Chapter 40
All was not well with this arrangement seemingly, for during the governorship of Aulus Didius Gallus, sometime between 52AD and 57AD, he divorced her. Cartimandua’s treacherous treatment of Caratacus in 51AD could have been one possible factor in his decision. Whatever the cause, Venutius proceeded to wage war on his ex-spouse with his own rival Carvetian faction. The new governor was forced to send several cohorts to her aid, until the forces under the able command of Venutius were eventually defeated in a decisive engagement.
This story is related in Tacitus’ Annals Book XII, chapter 40.