Timeline

Period

Date

Comment

Roman

402

Stilicho

Flavius Stilicho (occasionally written as Stilico) (c. 359 – August 22, 408) was a high-ranking general (magister militum) and Patrician of the Western Roman Empire, notably of semi-barbarian birth.

recalls one of the two British legions to assist with the defense of Italy against Alaric and the Visigoths . The barbarians were defeated, this time, at the battle of Pollentia

Alaric I (Alaric or Alarich, in Latin Alaricus), who was likely born about 370 on an island named Peuce (the Fir) at the mouth of the Danube, became king of the Visigoths from 395–410, and was the first Germanic leader to take the city of Rome.

(Apr 06).

The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East Germanic tribe (the Ostrogoths being the other). Together these tribes were among the loosely-termed Germanic peoples who disturbed the late Roman Empire during the Migration Period. After the collapse of the western Roman Empire the Visigoths played a major role in western European affairs for another two and a half centuries.

406

Jan - A combined barbarian force of Suevi, Alans, Vandals, and Burgundians (Germanic tribes) swept into central Gaul, severing contact between Rome and Britain.
Aug 23 - Battle at Florence: Stilicho's Roman army beats Radagaisus' Barbarians.
Autumn - The

(d. 407) a usurper emperor in Britain. He was a soldier who was proclaimed emperor by the army some time in 406. He may have risen to power as a reaction to the increasing raids from abroad at a time when the Empire was withdrawing troops from its distant provinces like Britain to protect its heartland. He did not please the arny and was sson killed.

remaining Roman army in Britain mutinies. Marcus was proclaimed emperor in Britain, but was immediately assassinated.

407

Constantine III

(died 411 by September 18) a Roman general. Abdicated in 411 (and was killed soon after).

is hailed as emperor by the Roman garrison in Britian. He crossed the English Channel to the continent at Bononia (Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France), and historians have assumed he took with him all of the mobile troops left in Britain, thus denuding the province of any military protection and explaining their disappearance. Constantine's departure could be what Nennius called "the end of the Roman Empire in Britain. . ."

408

With both Roman legions withdrawn,

Saint Prosper of Aquitaine, or Prosper Tiro (c. 390 – c. 465) was a Christian writer and disciple of Saint Augustine of Hippo.

Britain

The Picts were a confederation of tribes in central and northern Scotland from Roman times until the 10th century. They lived to the north of the Forth and Clyde. They were the descendants of the Caledonii and other tribes named by Roman historians or found on the map of Ptolemy. Pictland, also known as Pictavia, became the kingdom of Alba during the 10th century and the Picts became the Albannach or Scots.

endures

The "Chronicle" of Prosper, from the creation to A.D. 378, was an abridgment of St. Jerome's, with some additional matter. (see 433)

devastating attacks by the Picts, Scots and Saxons

Nowadays thier main areas of settlement are in the German States of Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, the northern part of North-Rhine-Westphalia and the northeastern part of the Netherlands (Drenthe, Groningen, Twente, Achterhoek). First mentioned by the Ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy, the pre-Christian settlement of the Saxon people originally covered an area a little more to the Northwest, with parts of the southern Jutland peninsula, Old Saxony and small sections of the eastern Netherlands.

409

Gaelic language and culture spread from Ireland to the southwest coast of Scotland where it may have already existed since Roman times. This area was known as Dál Riata. The Gaels soon spread out to most of the rest of the country. Culturo-linguistic dominance in the area eventually led to the Latin name for Gaelic speaking peoples, "Scoti", being applied to the state founded by the Gaels, Scotland (Alba in Gaelic).

Under enormous pressure, Britons take matters into their own hands, expelling weak Roman officials and fighting for themselves.

410

Britons send a plea for assitance against local barbarian incursions to Honorius

Flavius Honorius (September 9, 384–August 15, 423) was Roman Emperor (393- 395) and then Western Roman Emperor from 395 until his death.

- he tells them to defend themselves as best they can. Traditional ending of Roman Britain.
First independant king of Dumnonia

Covering Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and possibly Dorset - the kingdom is named for the Dumnonii, a Celtic tribe. Dumnonia is the Latin form of the name. It was known to the English of neighbouring Wessex as the kingdom of the West Welsh. In Welsh, and similarly in the native Brythonic language, it was Dyfneint and this is the form which survives today in the name of the county of Devon.

Guoremor (Gwrfawr/Vorimorus).

Dark-Ages

413

Pelagian heresy

Pelagius (c. 360-420) came into conflict with St. Augustine because of his claim that man could attain salvation through his own will. Augustine and Jerome declared Pelagius a heretic. His beliefs and others ascribed to him are known as the Pelagian heresy.

said to have begun, by Prosper (Tiro) of Aquitaine in his Chronicle .

418

A great synod which assembled under the presidency of Aurelius, bishop of Carthage, to take action concerning the errors of Caelestius, a disciple of Pelagius, denounced the Pelagian doctrines of human nature, original sin; grace and perfectibility, and fully approved the contrary views of Augustine.

May 1 - Pelagianism condemned at the Council of Carthage .

420

Death of Coel Hen

Coel Hen or Coel the Old is known to most of us through the famous nursery rhyme 'Old King Cole'. He is also a familiar figure in ancient Welsh genealogies, for most of the Celtic British monarchies claimed descent from him in one form or another. After his death, Coel's Northern Kingdom was divided between two of his sons, Ceneu and Gorbanian.

, probably the last Roman Dux Brittanniarum, at Ebruac (Eburacum/York) the Roman capital of the North. The Kingdom of Northern Britain splits - Cerneu retains Ebruac in the kingdom of Northern Britain; Gorbanian takes Bernaccia (Bryneich/Berneich).

425

Wortigernos/Vitalinus becomes the most powerful man in Britain and rules with a Council of representatives (proto-princes) from the Civitates and other emerging centres of regional power. He changes his name to Vortigern 'highest ruler among other rulers'.

428

Vortigern invites a number of Germanic warriors to aid him in consolidating his position in Britain according to the Historia Brittonum

The History of the Britons, is a historical work that was first written sometime shortly after AD 820. It purports to relate the history of Brythonnic inhabitants of Great Britain from earliest times, and this text has been used to write a history of both England and Wales, for want of more reliable sources. The text itself is a collection of excerpts, chronological calculations, glosses, and summaries based on earlier records -- many of which no longer exist. Traditionally, the Historia Britonum is ascribed to be the work of Nennius, a Welsh monk of the ninth century. However, examination of the numerous manuscripts show that Gildas was also claimed as its author (since Gildas was the only historical author its scribes knew of), while others (such as the British Library manuscript Harleian 3859) do not name an author.

429

From Prosper's "Chronicle": Agricola, a Pelagian, the son of the Pelagian bishop Severianus, corrupted the British churches by the insinuation of his doctrine. But at the persuasion of the deacon Palladius, Pope Celestine sent Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, as his representative, and having rejected the heretics, directed the British to the catholic faith.

431

From Prosper's "Chronicle": Palladius was sent by Pope Celestine to the Scots [i.e. Irish] who believed in Christ, and was ordained as their first bishop.

433

Prosper again takes up the Pelagian heresy controversy in his "De Gratia Dei et libero arbitrio; liber contra collatorem". The date of this, the most important of Prosper's prose writings, can be fixed at about 433, for the author speaks of twenty years and more, having elapsed since the beginning of the Pelagian heresy, viz., according to his "Chronicle", A.D. 413.

439

The Battle of Guoloph (often identified with Wallop, 15 km ESE of Amesbury near Salisbury) between Vitolinus and Ambrosius Aurelianus as dated by the Historia Brittonum. Vitolinus may have represented the Pelagian/Celtic tradition while Ambrosius headed the 'pro-Roman' one.

440

Period of Civil War and famine in Britain begins, caused by ruling council's weakness and inability to deal with Pictish invasions; situation aggravated by tensions between Pelagian/Roman factions. Vacated towns and cities in ruin. Migration of pro-Roman citizens toward west.

Early Anglo-Saxon

441

A Gallic Chronicle records, prematurely, that "Britain, abandoned by the Romans, passed into the power of the Saxons."

443

On the death of Constantine Corneu, King of Dumnonia the kingdom is split. Dumnonia remains to be ruled by Erbin; Cornubia (Cerniw) now ruled by Merchion.

446

Britons (probably the pro-Roman party) appeal to Aetius, Roman governor of Gaul, for military assistance in their struggle against the Picts and the Irish/Scots. No help could be sent, at this time, as Aetius had his hands full with Attila the Hun.
Vortigern authorizes the use of Saxon mercenaries, known as foederati, for the defence of the northern parts against barbarian attack and to guard against further Irish incursions. The Saxons are given a little land in Lincolnshire.

550

Main tribal dynasties established

597

Augustine arrives from Rome an converts Ethelbert, King of Kent, to Christianity

625

Sutton Hoo Ship Burial

650

Middle Saxon

730

Bede begins writing his 'History of the English Church and People'

784

King Offa and Charlemagne of France exchange letters

Viking-Age

789

First landing of Northmen in England

793

'Heathen men' destroy the church at Lindisfarne

735

Bede dies

850

Late Saxon

874

Vikings begin to settle in England

878

King Alfred defeats the Vikings

890

Alfred commences the writing of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

900

973

Edgar is crowned King of all England

1016

Cnut of Denmark takes the English throne

1066

William of Normandy takes the English throne

1100

Sources:
The North Folk: Angles, Saxons, Danes - Richard Bond, Kenneth Penn and Andrew Rogerson
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - translated and collated by Anne Savage
Saxons, Vikings and the Norman Conquest - Ray Mitchell and Geoffrey Middleton
The Anglo-Saxons - Rowena Loverance

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