History of the Ancient Welsh Tribes 5: The Demetae

Welcome back to the series on the ancient tribes of Cymru. Having covered the Silures a couple of days ago, it is time to move onto the southwest of Cymru (essentially Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire) with the Demetae.

Who Were the Demetae?

Interestingly, the Demetae were, in my opinion, the biggest Welsh survivors of the Roman Conquest of Britain. For example, the name “Demetae” – believed to come from a Common Celtic term for “sheep”, which would also likely be related to the present Welsh word “defaid” – is a precursor to the post-Roman Welsh kingdom of Dyfed (also related to “defaid”). This means that, in spite of the Roman Conquest, the Demetae, in an unusual way, survived for centuries. Given the commonly accepted belief that Dyfed was founded by settlers/invaders, it is possible they brought the name back.

Even as far as the 19th century, many Welsh locals still referred to the area as “Dyfed”. Now, as for why the area’s name and its tribe took on a name related to sheep? That is much simpler: the Demetae likely had a lot of them and profited from their wool, meat and so forth.

Now, going back to the reasons why the name persisted. Unlike the other tribes covered thus far, including the mighty Ordovices and Silures, the Demetae chose not to resist the Romans. History often shows that those who chose not to fight Rome but assimilate often survived in some capacity. The Demetae were a fine example of that. Given their synonymity with sheep, it is highly probable that they traded with the occupying forces of Rome throughout Britain.

There are a few locations known to have been associated with the Demetae, with the most well-known being Moridunum (present-day Carmarthen). It is because of the survival of Moridunum that Carmarthen is often recognised as being the oldest town in Cymru.

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