Rhys ap Gruffydd Rhys ap Gruffydd or ap Gruffudd ( often anglicised to " Griffith " ) ( 1132 – 28 April 1197 ) was the ruler of the kingdom of Deheubarth in south Wales from 1155 to 1197 . Today , he is commonly known as The Lord Rhys , in Welsh " Yr Arglwydd Rhys " , although this title may have not been used in his lifetime . He usually used the title " Proprietary Prince of Deheubarth " or " Prince of South Wales " , but two documents have been discovered in which he uses the title " Prince of Wales " or " Prince of the Welsh " . Rhys was one of the most successful and powerful Welsh princes , and , after the death of Owain Gwynedd of Gwynedd in 1170 , the dominant power in Wales . Rhys ' s grandfather , Rhys ap Tewdwr , was king of Deheubarth , and was killed at Brecon in 1093 by Bernard de Neufmarché . Following his death , most of Deheubarth was taken over by the Normans . Rhys ' s father , Gruffydd ap Rhys , eventually was able to become ruler of a small portion , and more territory was won back by Rhys ' s older brothers after Gruffydd ' s death . Rhys became ruler of Deheubarth in 1155 . He was forced to submit to King Henry II of England in 1158 . Henry invaded Deheubarth in 1163 , stripped Rhys of all his lands and took him prisoner . A few weeks later he was released and given back a small part of his holdings . Rhys made an alliance with Owain Gwynedd and , after the failure of another invasion of Wales by Henry in 1165 , was able to win back most of his lands . In 1171 Rhys made peace with King Henry and was confirmed in possession of his recent conquests as well as being named Justiciar of South Wales . He maintained good relations with King Henry until the latter ' s death in 1189 . Following Henry ' s death Rhys revolted against Richard I and attacked the Norman lordships surrounding his territory , capturing a number of castles . In his later years Rhys had trouble keeping control of his sons , particularly Maelgwn and Gruffydd , who maintained a feud with each other . Rhys launched his last campaign against the Normans in 1196 and captured a number of castles . The following year he died unexpectedly and was buried in St David ' s Cathedral . Genealogy and early life . Rhys was the second son of Gruffydd ap Rhys , ruler of part of Deheubarth , by his second wife Gwenllian ferch Gruffydd , daughter of Gruffudd ap Cynan , king of Gwynedd . His elder brother was Maredudd ap Gruffydd , and there were two younger brothers , Morgan and Maelgwn . He also had two older half - brothers , Anarawd and Cadell , from his father ' s first marriage . Rhys married Gwenllian verch Madog , daughter of Madog ap Maredudd , the last Prince of all Powys . His grandfather , Rhys ap Tewdwr , had been king of all Deheubarth until his death in 1093 . Rhys ap Tewdwr was killed in Brycheiniog , and most of his kingdom was taken over by Norman lords . Gruffydd ap Rhys was forced to flee to Ireland . He later returned to Deheubarth and ruled a portion of the kingdom , but was forced to flee to Ireland again in 1127 . When Rhys was born in 1132 , his father held only the commote of Caeo in Cantref Mawr . The death of King Henry I of England and the ensuing rivalry between Stephen and Matilda gave the Welsh the opportunity to rise against the Normans . A revolt spread through south Wales in 1136 , and Gruffydd ap Rhys , aided by his two eldest sons , Anarawd and Cadell , defeated the Normans in a battle near Loughor , killing over five hundred . After driving Walter de Clifford out of Cantref Bychan , Gruffydd set off to Gwynedd to enlist the help of his father - in - law , Gruffudd ap Cynan . In the absence of her husband , Gwenllian led an army against the Norman lordship of Cydweli ( Kidwelly ) , taking along her two youngest sons , Morgan and Maelgwn . She was defeated and killed by an army commanded by Maurice de Londres of Oystermouth Castle . Morgan was also killed and Maelgwn captured . Gruffydd formed an alliance with Gwynedd , and later in 1136 the sons of Gruffudd ap Cynan , Owain Gwynedd and Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd , led an army to Ceredigion . Their combined forces won a decisive victory over the Normans at the Battle of Crug Mawr . Ceredigion was reclaimed from the Normans , but was annexed by Gwynedd as the senior partner in the alliance . Gruffydd ap Rhys continued his campaign against the Normans in 1137 , but died later that year . The leadership of the family now passed to Rhys ' s half - brother Anarawd ap Gruffydd . In 1143 , when Rhys was eleven , Anarawd was murdered by the bodyguard of Cadwaladr ap Gruffydd , brother of Owain Gwynedd , king of Gwynedd . Owain punished Cadwaladr by depriving him of his lands in Ceredigion . First battles ( 1146 – 1155 ) . Anarawd ' s brother , Cadell ap Gruffydd , took over as head of the family . Gilbert de Clare , Earl of Pembroke , rebuilt Carmarthen castle in 1145 then began a campaign to reclaim Ceredigion . He built a castle in the commote of Mabudryd , but Cadell , aided by Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd who held Ceredigion for Gwynedd , destroyed it in 1146 . Rhys appears in the annals for the first time in 1146 , fighting alongside his brothers Cadell and Maredudd in the capture by assault of Llansteffan Castle . This was followed by the capture of Wiston in 1147 , Carmarthen in 1150 and Loughor in 1151 . In 1151 Cadell was attacked while out hunting by a group of Norman and Flemish knights from Tenby , and left for dead . He survived , but suffered injuries which left him unable to play an active role , and in 1153 he left on a pilgrimage to Rome . Maredudd became ruler of Deheubarth and continued a campaign , begun in 1150 , aimed at recovering Ceredigion , which had been held by Gwynedd since 1136 . Maredudd and Rhys were able to drive Hywel ab Owain Gwynedd from Ceredigion by 1153 . The same year Rhys is recorded as an independent commander for the first time , leading an army to capture the Norman castle of St Clears . Maredudd and Rhys also destroyed the castles at Tenby and Aberafan that year . Maredudd died in 1155 at the age of twenty - five and left Rhys as ruler of Deheubarth . Around this time he married Gwenllian ferch Madog , daughter of Madog ap Maredudd , prince of Powys . Early reign . Loss of territory ( 1155 – 1163 ) . Shortly after becoming ruler of Deheubarth , Rhys heard rumours that Owain Gwynedd was planning to invade Ceredigion in order to reclaim it for Gwynedd . Rhys responded by building a castle at Aberdyfi in 1156 . The threatened invasion did not take place , and Turvey claims that Owain ' s intention may have been to test the resolve of the new ruler . King Stephen had died in October 1154 , bringing to an end the long dispute with the Empress Matilda which had helped Anarawd , Cadell and Maredudd to extend their rule in Deheubarth . With disunity within the realm no longer a problem , the new king of England , Henry II , soon turned his attention to Wales . He began with an invasion of Gwynedd in 1157 . This invasion was not entirely successful , but Owain Gwynedd was induced to seek terms and to give up some territory in the north - east of Wales . The following year , Henry prepared an invasion of Deheubarth . Rhys made plans to resist , but was persuaded by his council to meet the king to discuss peace terms . The terms were much harsher than those offered to Owain : Rhys was stripped of all his possessions apart from Cantref Mawr , though he was promised one other cantref . The other territories were returned to their Norman lords . Among the Normans who returned to their holdings was Walter de Clifford , who reclaimed Cantref Bychan , then invaded Rhys ' s lands in Cantref Mawr . An appeal to the king produced no response , and Rhys resorted to arms , first capturing Clifford ' s castle at Llandovery then seizing Ceredigion . King Henry responded by preparing another invasion , and Rhys submitted without resistance . He was obliged to give hostages , probably including his son Hywel . The king was absent in France in 1159 , and Rhys took the opportunity to attack Dyfed and then to lay siege to Carmarthen , which was saved by a relief force led by Earl Reginald of Cornwall . Rhys retreated to Cantref Mawr , where an army led by five earls , the Earls of Cornwall , Gloucester , Hertford , Pembroke and Salisbury , marched against him . The earls were assisted by Cadwaladr , brother of Owain Gwynedd , and Owain ' s sons , Hywel and Cynan . However they were forced to withdraw and a truce was arranged . In 1162 , Rhys again attempted to recover some of his lost lands , and captured Llandovery castle . The following year Henry II returned to England after an absence of four years and prepared for another invasion of Deheubarth . Rhys met the king to discuss terms and was obliged to give more hostages , including another son , Maredudd . He was then seized and taken to England as a prisoner . Henry appears to have been uncertain what to do with Rhys , but after a few weeks decided to free him and allow him to rule Cantref Mawr . Rhys was summoned to appear before Henry at Woodstock to do homage together with Owain Gwynedd and Malcolm IV of Scotland . Welsh uprising ( 1164 – 1170 ) . In 1164 all the Welsh princes united in an uprising . Warren suggests that when Rhys and Owain were obliged to do homage to Henry in 1163 they were forced to accept a status of dependent vassalage instead of their previous client status , and that this led to the revolt . Rhys had other reasons for rebellion , for he had returned to Deheubarth from England to find that the neighbouring Norman lords were threatening Cantref Mawr . His nephew , Einion ab Anarawd , who was the captain of his bodyguard , had been murdered at the instigation of Roger de Clare , Earl of Hertford . The murderer had been given the protection of the Clares in Ceredigion . Rhys first appealed to the king to intercede ; when this failed , he invaded Ceredigion and recaptured all of it apart from the town and castle of Cardigan . The Welsh revolt led to another invasion of Wales by King Henry in 1165 . Henry attacked Gwynedd first , but instead of following the usual invasion route along the north coast he attacked from the south , following a route over the Berwyn hills . He was met by the united forces of the Welsh princes , led by Owain Gwynedd and including Rhys . According to " Brut y Tywysogion " : Torrential rain forced Henry ' s army to retreat in disorder without fighting a major battle , and Henry vented his spleen on the hostages , having Rhys ' s son Maredudd blinded . Rhys ' s other son , Hywel , was not among the victims . Rhys returned to Deheubarth where he captured and burned Cardigan Castle . He allowed the garrison to depart , but held the castellan , Robert Fitz - Stephen , as a prisoner . Shortly afterwards Rhys captured Cilgerran castle . In 1167 he joined Owain Gwynedd in an attack on Owain Cyfeiliog of southern Powys , and spent three weeks helping Owain besiege the Norman castle of Rhuddlan . In 1168 he attacked the Normans at Builth , destroying its castle . Rhys benefited from the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169 and 1170 , which was largely led by the Cambro - Norman lords of south Wales . In 1167 the King of Leinster , Diarmait Mac Murchada , who had been driven out of his kingdom , had asked Rhys to release Robert Fitz - Stephen from captivity to take part in an expedition to Ireland . Rhys did not oblige at the time , but released him the following year and in 1169 Fitz - Stephen led the vanguard of a Norman army which landed in Wexford . The leader of the Norman forces , Richard de Clare , 2nd Earl of Pembroke , known as " Strongbow " , followed in 1170 . According to Warren : The departure of the Norman lords enabled Rhys to strengthen his position , and the death of Owain Gwynedd in late 1170 left him as the acknowledged leader of the Welsh princes . Later reign . Peace with King Henry ( 1171 – 1188 ) . In 1171 King Henry II arrived in England from France , on his way to Ireland . Henry wished to ensure that Richard de Clare , who had married Diarmait ' s daughter and become heir to Leinster , did not establish an independent Norman kingdom in Ireland . His decision to try a different approach in his dealings with the Welsh was influenced by the events in Ireland , although Warren suggests that " it seems likely that Henry began rethinking his attitude to the Welsh soon after the débâcle of 1165 " . Henry now wished to make peace with Rhys , who came to Newnham to meet him . Rhys was to pay a tribute of 300 horses and 4 , 000 head of cattle , but was confirmed in possession of all the lands he had taken from Norman lords , including the Clares . They met again in October that year at Pembroke as Henry waited to cross to Ireland . Rhys had collected 86 of the 300 horses , but Henry agreed to take only 36 of them and remitted the remainder of the tribute until after his return from Ireland . Rhys ' s son , Hywel , who had been held as a hostage for many years , was returned to him . Henry and Rhys met once more at Laugharne as Henry returned from Ireland in 1172 , and shortly afterwards Henry appointed Rhys " justice on his behalf in all Deheubarth " . According to A . D . Carr : The agreement between Henry and Rhys was to last until Henry ' s death in 1189 . When Henry ' s sons rebelled against him in 1173 Rhys sent his son Hywel Sais to Normandy to aid the king , then in 1174 personally led an army to Tutbury in Staffordshire to assist at the siege of the stronghold of the rebel Earl William de Ferrers . When Rhys returned to Wales after the fall of Tutbury , he left a thousand men with the king for service in Normandy . King Henry held a council at Gloucester in 1175 which was attended by a large gathering of Welsh princes , led by Rhys . It appears to have concluded with the swearing of a mutual assistance pact for the preservation of peace and order in Wales . In 1177 Rhys , Dafydd ab Owain , who had emerged as the main power in Gwynedd , and Cadwallon ap Madog from Rhwng Gwy a Hafren swore fealty and liege homage to Henry at a council held at Oxford . At this council the king gave Meirionnydd , part of the kingdom of Gwynedd , to Rhys . There was some fighting in Meirionnydd the following year , but Rhys apparently made no serious attempt to annex it . Rhys built a number of stone castles , starting with Cardigan castle , which was the earliest recorded native - built stone castle in Wales . He also built Carreg Cennen castle near Llandeilo , a castle set in a spectacular position on a mountain top . He held a festival of poetry and song at his court at Cardigan over Christmas 1176 . This is generally regarded as the first recorded Eisteddfod . The festival was announced a year in advance throughout Wales and in England , Scotland , Ireland and possibly France . Two chairs were awarded as prizes , one for the best poem and the other for the best musical performance . J . E . Caerwyn Williams suggests that this event may be an adaptation of the similar French " puys " . R . R . Davies suggests that the texts of Welsh law , traditionally codified by Hywel Dda at Whitland , were first assembled in book form under the aegis of Rhys . Rhys founded two religious houses during this period . Talley Abbey was the first Premonstratensian abbey in Wales , while Llanllyr was a Cistercian nunnery , only the second nunnery to be founded in Wales and the first to prosper . He became the patron of the abbeys of Whitland and Strata Florida and made large grants to both houses . Giraldus Cambrensis , who was related to Rhys , gives an account of his meetings with Rhys in 1188 when Giraldus accompanied Archbishop Baldwin around Wales to raise men for the Third Crusade . Some Welsh clerics were not happy about this visit , but Rhys was enthusiastic and gave the Archbishop a great deal of assistance . Giraldus says that Rhys decided to go on crusade himself and spent several weeks making preparations , but was eventually persuaded to change his mind by his wife Gwenllian , " by female artifices " . Final campaigns ( 1189 – 1196 ) . Henry II died in 1189 and was succeeded by Richard I . Rhys considered that he was no longer bound by the agreement with King Henry and attacked the Norman lordships surrounding his territory . He ravaged Pembroke , Haverfordwest , and Gower and captured the castles of St . Clear ' s , Laugharne , and Llansteffan . Richard ' s brother , Prince John ( later King John ) , came to Wales in September and tried to make peace . He persuaded Rhys to raise the siege of Carmarthen and accompany him to Oxford to meet Richard . Rhys arrived at Oxford to discover that Richard was not prepared to travel there to meet him , and hostilities continued . In his later years Rhys had trouble keeping control of his sons , particularly Maelgwn and Gruffydd . In 1189 Gruffydd persuaded Rhys to imprison Maelgwn , and he was given into Gruffydd ' s keeping at Dinefwr . Gruffydd handed him over to his father - in - law , William de Braose . Gruffydd is also said to have persuaded his father to annex the lordship of Cemais and its chief castle of Nevern , held by William FitzMartin , in 1191 . This action was criticized by Giraldus Cambrensis , who describes Gruffydd as " a cunning and artful man " . William FitzMartin was married to Rhys ' s daughter Angharad , and , according to Giraldus , Rhys " had solemnly sworn , by the most precious relics , that his indemnity and security should be faithfully maintained " . Rhys had also annexed the Norman lordships of Cydweli and Carnwyllion in 1190 . In 1192 Rhys secured Maelgwn ' s release , but by now Maelgwn and Gruffydd were bitter enemies . In 1194 Rhys was defeated in battle by Maelgwn and Hywel , who imprisoned him in Nevern castle , though Hywel later released his father without Maelgwn ' s consent . Giraldus suggests that Rhys ' s incarceration in Nevern castle was divine vengeance for the dispossession of William FitzMartin . In 1195 two other sons , Rhys Gryg and Maredudd , seized Llanymddyfri and Dinefwr , and Rhys responded by imprisoning them . Rhys launched his last campaign against the Normans in 1196 . He captured a number of castles , including Carmarthen , Colwyn , Radnor and Painscastle , and defeated an army led by Roger de Mortimer and Hugh de Say near Radnor , with forty knights among the dead . William de Braose offered terms , and Painscastle was returned to him . Death and aftermath ( 1197 ) . In April 1197 Rhys died unexpectedly and was buried in St David ' s Cathedral . The chronicler of " Brut y Tywysogion " records for 1197 : Rhys died excommunicate , having quarreled with the Bishop of St . David ' s , Peter de Leia , over the theft of some of the bishop ' s horses some years previously . Before he could be buried in the cathedral , the bishop had his corpse scourged in posthumous penance . Rhys had nominated his eldest legitimate son , Gruffydd ap Rhys , as his successor , and soon after his father ' s death Gruffydd met the Justiciar , Archbishop Hubert Walter , on the border and was confirmed as heir . Maelgwn , the eldest son but illegitimate , refused to accept this and was given military assistance by Gwenwynwyn ab Owain of Powys . Maelgwn took the town and castle of Aberystwyth and captured Gruffydd , whom he handed over to the custody of Gwenwynwyn . Gwenwynwyn later handed him over to the king , who imprisoned him at Corfe Castle . Gruffydd was set free the following year and regained most of Ceredigion . In 1201 Gruffydd died , but this did not end the fighting between rival claimants . In 1216 Llywelyn the Great of Gwynedd held a council at Aberdyfi where he allocated parts of Deheubarth to several sons and grandsons of Rhys . Character and historical assessment . Giraldus Cambrensis frequently mentions Rhys in his writings and describes him as " a man of excellent wit and quick in repartee " . Gerald tells the story of a banquet at Hereford in 1186 where Rhys sat between two members of the Clare family . What could have been a tense affair , since Rhys had seized lands in Ceredigion previously held by the Clare family , passed off with an exchange of courteous compliments , followed by some good - natured banter between Rhys and Gerald about their family connections . Rhys gave Gerald and Archbishop Baldwin a great deal of assistance when they visited Wales to raise troops for the crusade in 1188 , and Gerald several times refers to his " kindness " and says that Rhys accompanied them all the way from Cardigan to the northern border of Ceredigion " with a liberality peculiarly praiseworthy in so illustrious a prince " . Another contemporary writer also wrote of Rhys if Roger Turvey is correct in stating that Walter Map ' s piece " Of the King Appollonides " deals with Rhys under a pseudonym . Map was less favourably disposed toward Rhys , describing him as " This king I have seen and know , and hate " , but goes on to say " I would not have my hatred blacken his worth ; it is not my wish ever to suppress any man ' s excellence through envy " . He tells the following story about Apollonides / Rhys : Davies provides the following assessment of Rhys : Davies also notes two flaws in Rhys ' s achievement . One was the personal nature of his accord with Henry II , which meant that it did not survive Henry ' s death . The other was his inability to control his sons and to force the other sons to accept Gruffydd as his successor . Children . Rhys had at least nine sons and eight daughters . Confusingly , three of the sons were named Maredudd and two of the daughters were named Gwenllian .