History Of The Britons (Historia Brittonum)

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HISTORY OF THE BRITONS (HISTORIA BRITTONUM)


by Nennius


Translated by J. A. Giles




I. THE PROLOGUE.


1. Nennius, the lowly minister and servant of the servants of God, by
the grace of God, disciple of St. Elbotus,* to all the followers of
truth sendeth health.

* Or Elvod, bishop of Bangor, A.D. 755, who first adopted in
the Cambrian church the new cycle for regulating Easter.

Be it known to your charity, that being dull in intellect and rude of
speech, I have presumed to deliver these things in the Latin tongue, not
trusting to my own learning, which is little or none at all, but partly
from traditions of our ancestors, partly from writings and monuments
of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the
Romans, and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymus,
Prosper, Eusebius, and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons,
although our enemies, not following my own inclinations, but, to the
best of my ability, obeying the commands of my seniors; I have lispingly
put together this history from various sources, and have endeavored,
from shame, to deliver down to posterity the few remaining ears of corn
about past transactions, that they might not be trodden under foot,
seeing that an ample crop has been snatched away already by the hostile
reapers of foreign nations. For many things have been in my way, and I,
to this day, have hardly been able to understand, even superficially, as
was necessary, the sayings of other men; much less was I able in my own
strength, but like a barbarian, have I murdered and defiled the
language of others. But I bore about with me an inward wound, and I
was indignant, that the name of my own people, formerly famous and
distinguished, should sink into oblivion, and like smoke be dissipated.
But since, however, I had rather myself be the historian of the Britons
than nobody, although so many are to be found who might much more
satisfactorily discharge the labour thus imposed on me; I humbly entreat
my readers, whose ears I may offend by the inelegance of my words, that
they will fulfil the wish of my seniors, and grant me the easy task of
listening with candour to my history. For zealous efforts very often
fail: but bold enthusiasm, were it in its power, would not suffer me to
fail. May, therefore, candour be shown where the inelegance of my words
is insufficient, and may the truth of this history, which my rustic
tongue has ventured, as a kind of plough, to trace out in furrows, lose
none of its influence from that cause, in the ears of my hearers. For it
is better to drink a wholesome draught of truth from the humble vessel,
than poison mixed with honey from a golden goblet.

2. And do not be loath, diligent reader, to winnow my chaff, and lay up
the wheat in the storehouse of your memory: for truth regards not who
is the speaker, nor in what manner it is spoken, but that the thing be
true; and she does not despise the jewel which she has rescued from the
mud, but she adds it to her former treasures.

For I yield to those who are greater and more eloquent than myself, who,
kindled with generous ardour, have endeavoured by Roman eloquence to
smooth the jarring elements of their tongue, if they have left unshaken
any pillar of history which I wished to see remain. This history
therefore has been compiled from a wish to benefit my inferiors, not
from envy of those who are superior to me, in the 858th year of our
Lord's incarnation, and in the 24th year of Mervin, king of the Britons,
and I hope that the prayers of my betters will be offered up for me in
recompence of my labour. But this is sufficient by way of preface. I
shall obediently accomplish the rest to the utmost of my power.




II. THE APOLOGY OF NENNIUS



Here begins the apology of Nennius, the historiographer of the Britons,
of the race of the Britons.

3. I, Nennius, disciple of St. Elbotus, have endeavoured to write some
extracts which the dulness of the British nation had cast away, because
teachers had no knowledge, nor gave any information in their books about
this island of Britain. But I have got together all that I could find as
well from the annals of the Romans as from the chronicles of the sacred
fathers, Hieronymus, Eusebius, Isidorus, Prosper, and from the annals of
the Scots and Saxons, and from our ancient traditions. Many teachers
and scribes have attempted to write this, but somehow or other have
abandoned it from its difficulty, either on account of frequent deaths,
or the often recurring calamities of war. I pray that every reader
who shall read this book, may pardon me, for having attempted, like a
chattering jay, or like some weak witness, to write these things, after
they had failed. I yield to him who knows more of these things than I
do.




III. THE HISTORY.



4, 5. From Adam to the flood, are two thousand and forty-two years. From
the flood of Abraham, nine hundred and forty-two. From Abraham to Moses,
six hundred.* From Moses to Solomon, and the first building of the
temple, four hundred and forty-eight. From Solomon to the rebuilding of
the temple, which was under Darius, king of the Persians, six hundred
and twelve years are computed. From Darius to the ministry of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and to the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius, are
five hundred and forty-eight years. So that from Adam to the ministry of
Christ and the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius, are five thousand
two hundred and twenty-eight years. From the passion of Christ are
completed nine hundred and forty-six; from his incarnation, nine hundred
and seventy-six: being the fifth year of Edmund, king of the Angles.

* And forty, according to Stevenson's new edition. The rest
of this chronology is much contracted in several of the
manuscripts, and hardly two of them contain it exactly the
same.

6. The first age of the world is from Adam to Noah; the second from Noah
to Abraham; the third from Abraham to David; the fourth from David
to Daniel; the fifth to John the Baptist; the sixth from John to the
judgment, when our Lord Jesus Christ will come to judge the living and
the dead, and the world by fire.

The first Julius.
The second Claudius.
The third Severus.
The fourth Carinus.
The fifth Constantius.
The sixth Maximus.
The seventh Maximianus.
The eighth another Severus Aequantius.
The ninth Constantius.*


* This list of the Roman emperors who visited Britain, is
omitted in many of the MSS.

Here beginneth the history of the Britons, edited by Mark the anchorite,
a holy bishop of that people.

7. The island of Britain derives its name from Brutus, a Roman consul.
Taken from the south-west point it inclines a little towards the west,
and to its northern extremity measures eight hundred miles, and is in
breadth two hundred. It contains thirty three cities,(1) viz.

1. Cair ebrauc (York).
2. Cair ceint (Canterbury).
3. Cair gurcoc (Anglesey?).
4. Cair guorthegern (2)
5. Cair custeint (Carnarvon).
6. Cair guoranegon (Worcester).
7. Cair segeint (Silchester).
8. Cair guin truis (Norwich, or Winwick).
9. Cair merdin (Caermarthen).
10. Cair peris (Porchester).
11. Cair lion (Caerleon-upon-Usk).
12. Cair mencipit (Verulam).
13. Cair caratauc (Catterick).
14. Cair ceri (Cirencester).
15. Cair glout (Gloucester).
16. Cair luillid (Carlisle).
17. Cair grant (Grantchester, now Cambridge).
18. Cair daun (Doncaster), or Cair dauri (Dorchester).
19. Cair britoc (Bristol).
20. Cair meguaid (Meivod).
21. Cair mauiguid (Manchester).
22. Cair ligion (Chester).
23. Cair guent (Winchester, or Caerwent, in Monmouthshire).
24. Cair collon (Colchester, or St. Colon, Cornwall).
25. Cair londein (London).
26. Cair guorcon (Worren, or Woran, in Pembrokeshire).
27. Cair lerion (Leicester).
28. Cair draithou (Drayton).
29. Cair pensavelcoit (Pevensey, in Sussex).
30. Cairtelm (Teyn-Grace, in Devonshire).
31. Cair Urnahc (Wroxeter, in Shropshire).
32. Cair colemion (Camelet, in Somersetshire).
33. Cair loit coit (Lincoln).
(1) V.R. Twenty-eight, twenty-one.
(2) Site unknown.

These are the names of the ancient cities of the island of Britain. It
has also a vast many promontories, and castles innumerable, built of
brick and stone. Its inhabitants consist of four different people; the
Scots, the Picts, the Saxons and the ancient Britons.

8. Three considerable islands belong to it; one, on the south, opposite
the Armorican shore, called Wight;* another between Ireland and Britain,
called Eubonia or Man; and another directly north, beyond the Picts,
named Orkney; and hence it was anciently a proverbial expression, in
reference to its kings and rulers, "He reigned over Britain and its
three islands."

* Inis-gueith, or Gueith.

6. It is fertilized by several rivers, which traverse it in all
directions, to the east and west, to the south and north; but there
are two pre-eminently distinguished among the rest, the Thames and the
Severn, which formerly, like the two arms of Britain, bore the ships
employed in the conveyance of riches acquired by commerce. The Britons
were once very populous, and exercised extensive dominion from sea to
sea.

10.* Respecting the period when this island became inhabited
subsequently to the flood, I have seen two distinct relations. According
to the annals of the Roman history, the Britons deduce their origin both
from the Greeks and Romans. On the side of the mother, from Lavinia, the
daughter of Latinus, king of Italy, and of the race of Silvanus, the son
of Inachus, the son of Dardanus; who was the son of Saturn, king of the
Greeks, and who, having possessed himself of a part of Asia, built the
city of Troy. Dardanus was the father of Troius, who was the father
of Priam and Anchises; Anchises was the father of Aeneas, who was the
father of Ascanius and Silvius; and this Silvius was the son of Aeneas
and Lavinia, the daughter of the king of Italy. From the sons of Aeneas
and Lavinia descended Romulus and Remus, who were the sons of the
holy queen Rhea, and the founders of Rome. Brutus was consul when
he conquered Spain, and reduced that country to a Roman province. He
afterwards subdued the island of Britain, whose inhabitants were
the descendants of the Romans, from Silvius Posthumus. He was called
Posthumus because he was born after the death of Aeneas his father; and
his mother Lavinia concealed herself during her pregnancy; he was called
Silvius, because he was born in a wood. Hence the Roman kings were
called Silvan, and the Britons from Brutus, and rose from the family of
Brutus.

* The whole of this, as far as the end of the paragraph, is
omitted in several MSS.

Aeneas, after the Trojan war, arrived with his son in Italy; and Having
vanquished Turnus, married Lavinia, the daughter of king Latinus, who
was the son of Faunus, the son of Picus, the son of Saturn. After the
death of Latinus, Aeneas obtained the kingdom Of the Romans, and Lavinia
brought forth a son, who was named Silvius. Ascanius founded Alba, and
afterwards married. And Lavinia bore to Aeneas a son, named Silvius;
but Ascanius (1) married a wife, who conceived and became pregnant.
And Aeneas, having been informed that his daughter-in-law was pregnant,
ordered his son to send his magician to examine his wife, whether the
child conceived were male or female. The magician came and examined the
wife and pronounced it to be a son, who should become the most valiant
among the Italians, and the most beloved of all men. (2) In consequence
of this prediction, the magician was put to death by Ascanius; but it
happened that the mother of the child dying at its birth, he was named
Brutus; ad after a certain interval, agreeably to what the magician had
foretold, whilst he was playing with some others he shot his father with
an arrow, not intentionally but by accident. (3) He was, for this cause,
expelled from Italy, and came to the islands of the Tyrrhene sea, when
he was exiled on account of the death of Turnus, slain by Aeneas. He
then went among the Gauls, and built the city of the Turones, called
Turnis. (4) At length he came to this island named from him Britannia,
dwelt there, and filled it with his own descendants, and it has been
inhabited from that time to the present period.

(1) Other MSS. Silvius.

(2) V.R. Who should slay his father and mother, and be hated
by all mankind.

(3) V.R. He displayed such superiority among his play-
fellows, that they seemed to consider him as their chief.

(4) Tours.

11. Aeneas reigned over the Latins three years; Ascanius thirty
three years; after whom Silvius reigned twelve years, and Posthumus
thirty-nine * years: the latter, from whom the kings of Alba are called
Silvan, was brother to Brutus, who governed Britain at the time Eli the
high-priest judged Israel, and when the ark of the covenant was taken by
a foreign people. But Posthumus his brother reigned among the Latins. *
V.R. Thirty-seven.

12. After an interval of not less than eight hundred years, came the
Picts, and occupied the Orkney Islands: whence they laid waste many
regions, and seized those on the left hand side of Britain, where they
still remain, keeping possession of a third part of Britain to this
day. *

* See Bede's Eccles. Hist.

13. Long after this, the Scots arrived in Ireland from Spain. The first
that came was Partholomus,(1) with a thousand men and women; these
increased to four thousand; but a mortality coming suddenly upon them,
they all perished in one week. The second was Nimech, the son of...,(2)
who, according to report, after having been at sea a year and a half,
and having his ships shattered, arrived at a port in Ireland, and
continuing there several years, returned at length with his followers
to Spain. After these came three sons of a Spanish soldier with thirty
ships, each of which contained thirty wives; and having remained there
during the space of a year, there appeared to them, in the middle of the
sea, a tower of glass, the summit of which seemed covered with men, to
whom they often spoke, but received no answer. At length they determined
to besiege the tower; and after a year's preparation, advanced towards
it, with the whole number of their ships, and all the women, one ship
only excepted, which had been wrecked, and in which were thirty men,
and as many women; but when all had disembarked on the shore which
surrounded the tower, the sea opened and swallowed them up. Ireland,
however, was peopled, to the present period, from the family remaining
in the vessel which was wrecked. Afterwards, other came from Spain, and
possessed themselves of various parts of Britain.

(1) V.R. Partholomaeus, or Bartholomaeus.

(2) A blank is here in the MS. Agnomen is found in some of
the others.

14. Last of all came one Hoctor,(1) who continued there, and whose
descendants remain there to this day. Istoreth, the son of Istorinus,
with his followers, held Dalrieta; Buile had the island Eubonia, and
other adjacent places. The sons of Liethali(2) obtained the country of
the dimetae, where is a city called Menavia,(3) and the province Guiher
and Cetgueli, (4) which they held till they were expelled from every
part of Britain, by Cunedda and his sons.

(1) V.R. Damhoctor, Clamhoctor, and Elamhoctor.

(2) V.R. Liethan, Bethan, Vethan.

(3) St. David's.

(4) Guiher, probably the Welsh district Gower. Cetgueli is
Caer Kidwelly, in Carmarthenshire.

15. According to the most learned among the Scots, if any one desires
to learn what I am now going to state, Ireland was a desert, and
uninhabited, when the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, in which,
as we read in the Book of the Law, the Egyptians who followed them were
drowned. At that period, there lived among this people, with a numerous
family, a Scythian of noble birth, who had been banished from his
country and did not go to pursue the people of God. The Egyptians who
were left, seeing the destruction of the great men of their nation, and
fearing lest he should possess himself of their territory, took counsel
together, and expelled him. Thus reduced, he wandered forty-two years in
Africa, and arrived, with his family, at the altars of the Philistines,
by the Lake of Osiers. Then passing between Rusicada and the hilly
country of Syria, they travelled by the river Malva through Mauritania
as far as the Pillars of Hercules; and crossing the Tyrrhene Sea, landed
in Spain, where they continued many years, having greatly increased and
multiplied. Thence, a thousand and two years after the Egyptians were
lost in the Red Sea, they passed into Ireland, and the district of
Dalrieta.* At that period, Brutus, who first exercised the consular
office, reigned over the Romans; and the state, which before was
governed by regal power, was afterwards ruled, during four hundred and
forty-seven years, by consuls, tribunes of the people, and dictators.

* North-western part of Antrim in Ulster.

The Britons came to Britain in the third age of the world; and in the
fourth, the Scots took possession of Ireland.

The Britons who, suspecting no hostilities, were unprovided with the
means of defence, were unanimously and incessantly attacked, both by the
Scots from the west, and by the Picts from the north. A long interval
after this, the Romans obtained the empire of the world.

16. From the first arrival of the Saxons into Britain, to the fourth
year of king Mermenus, are computed four hundred and twenty eight years;
from the nativity of our Lord to the coming of St. Patrick among the
Scots, four hundred and five years; from the death of St. Patrick to
that of St. Bridget, forty years; and from the birth of Columeille(1) to
the death of St Bridget four years.(2)

(1) V.R. Columba.

(2) Some MSS. add, the beginning of the calculation is 23
cycles of 19 years from the incarnation of our Lord to the
arrival of St. Patrick in Ireland, and they make 438 years.
And from the arrival of St. Patrick to the cycle of 19 years
in which we live are 22 cycles, which make 421 years.

17. I have learned another account of this Brutus from the ancient books
of our ancestors.* After the deluge, the three sons of Noah severally
occupied three different parts of the earth: Shem extended his borders
into Asia, Ham into Africa, and Japheth in Europe.

* This proves the tradition of Brutus to be older than
Geoffrey or Tyssilio, unless these notices of Brutus have
been interpolated in the original work of Nennius.

The first man that dwelt in Europe was Alanus, with his three sons,
Hisicion, Armenon, and Neugio. Hisicion had four sons, Francus, Romanus,
Alamanus, and Brutus. Armenon had five sons, Gothus, Valagothus,
Cibidus, Burgundus, and Longobardus. Neugio had three sons, Vandalus,
Saxo, and Boganus. From Hisicion arose four nations--the Franks, the
Latins, the Germans, and Britons: from Armenon, the Gothi, Balagothi,
Cibidi, Burgundi, and Longobardi: from Neugio, the Bogari, Vandali,
Saxones, and Tarinegi. The whole of Europe was subdivided into these
tribes.

Alanus is said to have been the son of Fethuir;* Fethuir, the son of
Ogomuin, who was the son of Thoi; Thoi was the son of Boibus, Boibus
of Semion, Semion of Mair, Mair of Ecthactus, Ecthactus of Aurthack,
Aurthack of Ethec, Ethec of Ooth, Ooth of Aber, Aber of Ra, Ra of Esraa,
Esraa of Hisrau, Hisrau of Bath, Bath of Jobath, Jobath of Joham, Joham
of Japheth, Japheth of Noah, Noah of Lamech, Lamech of Mathusalem,
Mathusalem of Enoch, Enoch of Jared, Jared of Malalehel, Malalehel of
Cainan, Cainan of Enos, Enos of Seth, Seth of Adam, and Adam was formed
by the living God. We have obtained this information respecting the
original inhabitants of Britain from ancient tradition.

* This genealogy is different in almost all the MSS.

18. The Britons were thus called from Brutus: Brutus was the son of
Hisicion, Hisicion was the son of Alanus, Alanus was the son of Rhea
Silvia, Fhea Silvia was the daughter of Numa Pompilius, Numa was the son
of Ascanius, Ascanius of Eneas, Eneas of Anchises, Anchises of Troius,
Troius of Dardanus, Dardanus of Flisa, Flisa of Juuin, Juuin of Japheth;
but Japheth had seven sons; from the first named Gomer, descended the
Galli; from the second, Magog, the Scythi and Gothi; from the third,
Madian, the Medi; from the fourth, Juuan, the Greeks; from the fifth,
Tubal, arose the Hebrei, Hispani, and Itali; from the sixth, Mosoch,
sprung the Cappadoces; and from the seventh, named Tiras, descended
the Thraces: these are the sons of Japheth, the son of Noah, the son of
Lamech.

19.* The Romans, having obtained the dominion of the world, sent legates
or deputies to the Britons to demand of them hostages and tribute, which
they received from all other countries and islands; but they, fierce,
disdainful, and haughty, treated the legation with contempt.

* Some MSS. add, I will now return to the point from which I
made this digression.

Then Julius Caesar, the first who had acquired absolute power at Rome,
highly incensed against the Britons, sailed with sixty vessels to the
mouth of the Thames, where they suffered shipwreck whilst he fought
against Dolobellus, (the proconsul of the British king, who was called
Belinus, and who was the son of Minocannus who governed all the islands
of the Tyrrhene Sea), and thus Julius Caesar returned home without
victory, having had his soldiers Slain, and his ships shattered.

20. But after three years he again appeared with a large army, and three
hundred ships, at the mouth of the Thames, where he renewed hostilities.
In this attempt many of his soldiers and horses were killed; for the
same consul had placed iron pikes in the shallow part of the river, and
this having been effected with so much skill and secrecy as to escape
the notice of the Roman soldiers, did them considerable injury; thus
Caesar was once more compelled to return without peace or victory. The
Romans were, therefore, a third time sent against the Britons; and under
the command of Julius, defeated them near a place called Trinovantum
(London), forty-seven years before the birth of Christ, and five
thousand two hundred and twelve years from the creation.

Julius was the first exercising supreme power over the Romans who
invaded Britain: in honour of him the Romans decreed the fifth month to
be called after his name. He was assassinated in the Curia, in the ides
of March, and Octavius Augustus succeeded to the empire of the world. He
was the only emperor who received tribute from the Britons, according
to the following verse of Virgil: "Purpurea intexti tollunt aulaea
Britanni."

21. The second after him, who came into Britain, was the emperor
Claudius, who reigned forty-seven years after the birth of Christ. He
carried with him war and devastation; and, though not without loss of
men, he at length conquered Britain. He next sailed to the Orkneys,
which he likewise conquered, and afterwards rendered tributary. No
tribute was in his time received from the Britons; but it was paid
to British emperors. He reigned thirteen years and eight months. His
monument is to be seen at Moguntia (among the Lombards), where he died
in his way to Rome.

22. After the birth of Christ, one hundred and sixty-seven years, king
Lucius, with all the chiefs of the British people, received baptism,
in consequence of a legation sent by the Roman emperors and pope
Evaristus.*

* V.R. Eucharistus. A marginal note in the Arundel MS.
adds, "He is wrong, because the first year of Evaristus was
A.D. 79, whereas the first year of Eleutherius, whom he
ought to have named, was A.D. 161." Usher says, that in one
MS. of Nennius he found the name of Eleutherius.

23. Severus was the third emperor who passed the sea to Britain, where,
to protect the provinces recovered from barbaric incursions, he ordered
a wall and a rampart to be made between the Britons, the Scots, and
the Picts, extending across the island from sea to sea, in length one
hundred and thirty-three miles: and it is called in the British language
Gwal.* Moreover, he ordered it to be made between the Britons, and the
Picts and Scots; for the Scots from the west, and the Picts from the
north, unanimously made war against the Britons; but were at peace among
themselves. Not long after Severus dies in Britain.

*Or, the Wall. One MS. here adds, "The above-mentioned
Severus constructed it of rude workmanship in length 132
miles; i.e. from Penguaul, which village is called in
Scottish Cenail, in English Peneltun, to the mouth of the
river Cluth and Cairpentaloch, where this wall terminates;
but it was of no avail. The emperor Carausius afterwards
rebuilt it, and fortified it with seven castles between the
two mouths: he built also a round house of polished stones
on the banks of the river Carun (Carron): he likewise
erected a triumphal arch, on which he inscribed his own name
in memory of his victory."