After the triumph, the emperor wished to meet this gallant savage face to face.
Caradoc and his wife were brought before Claudius, who, in royal garments of purple and gold, was seated upon an ivory throne.
Caradoc looked at the emperor with his calm, brave eyes, and did not appear to be in the least dismayed.
Claudius said to himself that this British chief was a truly great man. He asked his prisoner what he thought of Rome.
'I think it is a very great and wonderful city,' replied Caradoc, 'and that its people are a very great people.'
'Do you know what this great people do to those who have been bold enough to resist their will?' asked the emperor.
'Yes,' replied Caradoc simply; 'I am told that you put their leaders to death when you have captured them; and I wonder that a wise and great people like the Romans should have such a custom. After having defeated a man, what greater glory is to be won by putting him to death? It seems to me that it would be more worthy of the Roman people to spare him in order to show that they are generous as well as brave.'
Claudius was so pleased with his captive's wise and fearless reply that he had him restored to liberty, with his wife and family.
The Roman who has told us the story of Caradoc in one of his books does not say whether the brave chief was allowed to return to Britain, or whether he had to spend the rest of his life in the land of his conquerors.
I hope his captors sent him back to Britain, for I am sure that he loved his native land the best, and that he would have liked to end his days among the brave countrymen who had helped him to withstand the great and powerful nation of Rome.