He appears in
Geoffrey of Monmouth's
Historia Regum Britanniae (1136) as
Androgeus, eldest son of the legendary king
Lud. The name change can be traced to copying errors in
Orosius's
Seven Books of History Against the Pagans, a 5th-century Christian history which was influential in medieval Britain, where it appears in different manuscripts as "Mandubragius" and "Andragorius".
Bede, who follows Orosius almost verbatim for his account of Caesar's expeditions, calls him "Andragius" (a name which Geoffrey used for an
earlier British king). Geoffrey might also have been influenced by the
Greek mythological character
Androgeus. When Lud died, Androgeus and his brother
Tasciovanus were too young to rule, so the throne went to their uncle
Cassivellaunus. Androgeus was made Duke of
Trinovantum (
London) and
Kent, and participated in the defence of Britain against
Julius Caesar. After Caesar's first two invasions were repelled, the Britons held a celebration at which sacrifices were made to the gods and games played. Cuelinus, a nephew of Androgeus, wrestled with Hirelglas, Cassivellaunus's nephew, and killed him in a dispute over the result. Cassivellaunus demanded Androgeus hand over his nephew for trial, but fearing the king's intentions, Androgeus refused, offering to try him in his own court. Cassivellaunus made war on Androgeus, who appealed to Caesar for help. He gave hostages, including his own son Scaeva, as proof of his intentions, and Caesar invaded a third time. Between them, Androgeus and Caesar forced Cassivellaunus to submit and agree to pay tribute to Rome. Caesar spent the winter in Britain, and he and Cassivellaunus became friends. When he finally returned to Rome to fight the
civil war against
Pompey, Androgeus went with him, never to return. In
Middle Welsh versions of Geoffrey's
Historia, and in the
Welsh Triads, he appears as
Afarwy. The Triads name him as one of the "Three Dishonoured Men of the Island of Britain" for inviting Caesar to invade. John Koch suggests that Mandubracius might be the historical basis of the
Welsh mythological figure
Manawydan: he reconstructs the original form of his father's name as *
Mannuētios, and an earlier form of Manwydan as *
Mannuētiagnos, "son of Mannuetios". ==References==