874:"The Works of Gildas, Surnamed 'Sapiens,' or the Wise", in: John Allen Giles, ed., ''Six Old English Chronicles, of Which Two Are Now First Translated from the Monkish Latin Originals'' (London: Henry G. Bohn, 1848), pt. 1, ¶20. This is a revision of Thomas Habington, trans., ''The Epistle of Gildas the most ancient British Author: who flourished in the yeere of our Lord, 546. And who by his great erudition, sanctitie, and wisdome, acquired the name of Sapiens. Faithfully translated out of the originall Latine'', 8 vols. (London: T. Cotes for William Cooke, 1638).
25:
492:
Gildas refers to
Agitius as "Thrice Consul". If Gildas meant Flavius Aetius, and he was quoting the letter, it would imply that the letter was sent during the time period of his third consulship in 446. If, however, he was using "Thrice Consul" as a means of identifying a famous leader, the letter
614:
Gildas' narrative describes the
Britons as being too impious and plagued by infighting to fend off the Saxons. They managed some successes against the invaders when they placed their faith in God's hands, but they were usually left to suffer greatly. Gildas mentions a "proud tyrant" who
513:
had taken the last Roman troops from
Britain in 407 and the civilian administration had been expelled by the natives a little later, leaving the inhabitants to fend for themselves during increasingly fraught times. Parts of the plea were recorded:
421:, and the record is ambiguous on what the response to the appeal was, if any. According to Gildas and various later medieval sources, the failure of the Roman armies to secure Britain led the Britons to invite
529:
To
Agitius , thrice consul: the groans of the Britons. The barbarians drive us to the sea, the sea drives us to the barbarians; between these two means of death, we are either killed or drowned.
142:
823:, 1971:107: "Agitius is most reasonably identified with Aegidius... but Aegidius was never a consul." Alcock 1971 was critically reviewed by K. H. Jackson in
522:
Agitio ter consuli, gemitus britannorum. Repellunt barbari ad mare, repellit mare ad barbaros; inter haec duo genera funerum aut iugulamur aut mergimur.
582:(446) is useful in dating the increasing strife in Britain during this period. Gildas' mention of the appeal is a minor part of a much larger religious
961:
135:
605:
The viewpoint of Gildas is coloured by his classicising rather than monastic education, based at some remove on the Roman education of a
164:
128:
919:
89:
1016:
61:
405:
42:
344:
68:
932:
Michael
Lapidge, "Gildas' education and the Latin culture of sub-Roman Britain", in Lapidge and Dumville 1984, page 27.
449:. According to these sources, it was a last-ditch plea to "Agitius" for assistance. Agitius is generally identified as
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75:
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778:
743:
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152:
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than realistic, especially as his sources were probably derived from oral tradition. The traditional picture of
46:
1001:
486:
770:
The ecclesiastical history of the
English people ; The greater chronicle ; Bede's letter to Egbert
409:. According to Gildas, the message was addressed to "Agitius", who is generally identified with the general
643:
418:
1036:
184:
858:
602:
evidence which indicates a definitive series of migrations into
England on the part of the Saxons.
510:
214:
120:
648:
505:—though he was never consul. This identification was supported by Stephen Johnson, but rejected by
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from northern
Britain, who were able to pillage far to the south after the Roman armies had
976:
549:
The Romans, however, could not assist them, so the
Britons were left to their own devices.
462:
414:
349:
329:
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8:
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in the fifth and sixth centuries and increasing Anglo-Saxon culture, including language.
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Ex Post Facto: Journal of the
History Students at San Francisco State University
445:, written in the second quarter of the sixth century and much later repeated by
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493:
may have been sent during either of his three consulships: 432, 437, or 446.
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No answer is recorded to the pleas of the British. There was an increasing
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150:
24:
979:"The Gemitus Britannorum, A Restoration and English Translation of
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773:. Judith McClure, Roger Collins. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
598:
as besieged and chaotic is also being increasingly challenged by
583:
920:"Migration, not conquest, drove Anglo-Saxon takeover of England"
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has raised a tentative possibility of the "Agitius" to whom the
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887:
Town origins and development in early England, c.400-950 A.D.
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586:, however, which means that the image described may be more
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977:
https://www.academia.edu/3091466/The_Gemitus_Britannorum
575:, could have reflected Aetius' response to the message.
399:; Gildas' account was later repeated in chapter 13 of
373:) is the final appeal made between 446 and 454 by the
543:—J. A. Giles's 1848 revision of T. Habington (1638)
477:. The Roman Britons had been beset by raids by the
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
726:
611:, a source of his elaborated and difficult Latin.
154:Anglo-Saxon invasions and the founding of England
988:
509:. Miller left the possibility open. The usurper
962:"The Groans of the Britons: Toward the British
890:Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 50.
552:
425:mercenaries to the island, precipitating the
136:
454:
417:had few military resources to spare during
389:raiders. The appeal is first referenced in
143:
129:
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
561:, a former Roman general who had become
830:(1973), noted by Thomas D. O'Sullivan,
989:
688:Agitio ter consuli gemitus Britannorum
406:Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum
883:
627:mercenaries to defend the borders.
623:as the person who originally invited
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465:who spent most of the 440s fighting
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
736:The Ruin of Britain and Other Works
16:Briton missive to Rome, 5th century
13:
557:A second visit in around 446–7 by
538:De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae
443:De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae
396:De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae
14:
1053:
752:
717:
692:
632:Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain
427:Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain
856:Miller, "Bede's use of Gildas,"
23:
1017:Conflict in Anglo-Saxon England
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912:
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578:The reference to Aetius' third
34:needs additional citations for
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738:. Phillimore. pp. 23–24.
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1:
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644:End of Roman rule in Britain
7:
710:(Studies in Celtic History
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501:is directed actually being
437:The message is recorded by
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1058:
553:Problems of interpretation
432:
185:Treason of the Long Knives
884:Russo, Daniel G. (1998).
859:English Historical Review
487:withdrawn from the island
162:
1032:440s in the Roman Empire
966:Period ca. 406-455 C.E."
832:The De Excidio of Gildas
674:
649:Battle of Mons Badonicus
520:
845:The English Settlements
807:Encyclopædia Britannica
381:for assistance against
58:"Groans of the Britons"
1027:5th-century literature
1007:5th century in England
708:Gildas: New Approaches
527:
455:
370:
728:Winterbottom, Michael
363:Groans of the Britons
170:Groans of the Britons
1002:Prose texts in Latin
946:De Excidio Britannae
463:Western Roman Empire
415:Western Roman Empire
43:improve this article
975:Rosenbaum, Sabin, [
949:, as translated by
573:Constantius of Lyon
536:—Quoted in Gildas,
371:gemitus Britannorum
809:. 7 February 2024.
596:post-Roman Britain
565:, recorded in his
1037:Sub-Roman Britain
983:, Chapters 19-25"
654:Sub-Roman Britain
563:Bishop of Auxerre
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
594:society in
423:Anglo-Saxon
419:its decline
270:Heavenfield
255:Cefn Digoll
250:Cirencester
210:Alclud Ford
997:1615 books
991:Categories
981:De Excidio
939:References
865:(1975:247)
588:hyperbolic
580:consulship
467:insurgents
350:Brunanburh
330:Bensington
290:Two Rivers
275:Maserfield
69:newspapers
964:Civitates
825:Antiquity
621:Vortigern
619:names as
260:Caer-Uisc
240:Degsastan
205:Beranburh
180:Aylesford
906:35593429
847:, 1989:8
819:Alcock,
789:29843795
767:(1994).
734:(2002).
686:In full
659:Gododdin
638:See also
625:Germanic
559:Germanus
503:Aegidius
489:in 407.
475:Hispania
345:Scotland
335:Ellandun
320:Hereford
235:Catraeth
165:Timeline
706:, eds.
584:polemic
499:gemitus
461:of the
441:in his
433:Message
377:to the
375:Britons
285:Peonnum
280:Winwaed
245:Chester
220:Deorham
175:Guoloph
83:scholar
972:, 2002
904:
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669:Wessex
608:rhetor
451:Aetius
439:Gildas
391:Gildas
325:Otford
315:Pencon
85:
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71:
64:
56:
675:Notes
483:Scots
479:Picts
367:Latin
310:Hehil
295:Trent
230:Raith
200:Badon
90:JSTOR
76:books
1022:440s
956:Bede
902:OCLC
892:ISBN
785:OCLC
775:ISBN
765:Bede
740:ISBN
702:and
617:Bede
568:Vita
481:and
473:and
471:Gaul
447:Bede
401:Bede
387:Scot
385:and
383:Pict
361:The
62:news
1012:446
698:In
571:by
469:in
403:'s
45:by
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783:.
754:^
730:;
719:^
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