History Of The Britons (Historia Brittonum) by Nennius
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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.
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