Sub-Roman Britain

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Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an archaeologists' label for the culture of Britain in Late Antiquity. "Sub-Roman" was invented to describe the pottery in sites of the 5th century and the 6th century, with an inference of decay from a higher standard under the Roman Empire. The term is now widely used by historians as well as archaeologists. However other terms such as "The Brythonic Age" are also used. It refers to the independent British areas rather than the Anglo Saxon ones.

The period lies between the exit of much of the British garrison with the imperial claimant Constantine III in 407, and the arrival of Augustine at Canterbury of the Kingdom of Kent in 597. It includes the landing of Germanic people in the east and south of Britain from about AD450 and their establishment of kingdoms. However, British kingdoms continued in the west of Britain long after this.

The written record fades during this period. We have little: a scatter of fictionalized saints' lives and the Confessio of Saint Patrick. A jeremiad by Gildas, De Excidio Britanniae ("The Ruin of Britain"), probably of the early sixth century. Nennius' History of the British, likely written by 828. The Annales Cambriae. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. All of these are heavily contaminated, either by religious didacticism or by myth, and much was written down much later. Even Bede, in the late 8th century, relied on oral traditions, folk genealogies and legend for his information. There are also continental sources such as the Gallic Chronicles that refer to events in Britain during this period.

Archaeology has supplemented the sketchy picture, notably at sites like Tintagel or the South Cadbury hill-fort, in 5th and 6th century repairs along Hadrian's Wall (once thought to have been abandoned), at Whithorn in southwestern Scotland (possibly the site of St Ninian's monastery), through chance discoveries documenting the continuing urban occupation at many Roman cities (some of which were the seats of bishops), and an extensive villa-like structure at Wroxeter [1].

The climate changed in the 5th century, turning cooler and wetter, shortening the growing season and making uplands unsuited to growing grain. Michael Jones, who devotes a chapter to climate change, suggests that declining agricultural production from land that was already fully exploited had profound demographic consequences [2]. Britain was also probably subject to plague in this period.

Contents 1 Timeline 2 See also 3 External links 4 Further reading

Timeline

These dates are mostly approximate.

• 410 - Roman departure from Britain
• c.425 - Vortigern comes into power
• c.428 - Anglo-Saxon mercenaries first arrive in Britain; Germanus said to have led Britons to victory against them and their Pictish allies
• 429 - Germanus' first mission to Britain

• c.440 - Germanus' second mission to Britain
• c.446 - The Groans of the Britons is sent to Aëtius
• c.447 - More Anglo-Saxon settlers arrive in Britain
• 466 - Battle of Wippedesfleot
• 470 - Riothamus campaigns in Gaul against the Vandals, retreats to Burgundian Avallon
• c.479 - Ambrosius Aurelianus comes into power
• c.516 - Battle of Mons Badonicus, birth of Gildas
• c.525 - Birth of Aneirin
• c.534 - Birth of Taliesin
• 563 - Columba establishes a mission on Iona
• c.570 - Death of Gildas
• c.577 - Battle of Deorham: Saxons take Cirencester, Gloucester and Bath.
• 597 - Augustine establishes mission at Canterbury; death of Columba
• c.599 - Death of Taliesin
• c.600 - Death of Aneirin

See also

• Vortigern
• Historical basis for King Arthur
• Anglo-Saxons
• Wansdyke
• Heptarchy

External links

• Christopher A. Snyder, "Sub-Roman Britain: A Guide to On-Line Resources"
  • Snyder, "Sub-Roman Britain: an Introduction"
• "Sources for Late Roman Britain"
• Robert Vermaat, "Vortigern Studies" website

Further reading

• Arthurian Period Sources volumes 1-9, General Editor John Morris, published Phillimore & Co, Chichester (includes full text of Gildas & Nennius, St Patrick material and various annals and charters).
• Stephen Johnson, Later Roman Britain, Granada Publishing, St Albans, 1982 ISBN 0586083723
• Michael E. Jones, The End of Roman Britain, Cornell UP, Ithaca, 1996.
• Leslie Alcock, Arthur's Britain: History and Archaeology AD 367 - 634, Allen Lane, The Penguin Press, Harmondsworth, 1971 ISBN 0713902450
• Rachel Bromwich, "Concepts of Arthur", Studia Celtica, 9/10 (1976), pp.163-81.
• David N. Dumville, "Sub-Roman Britain: History and Legend", History 62 (1977), pp. 173-92.