PART TWO: 537-600 A.D. 

(From the death of High King Arthur I to the accession of High King Cadwaladyr).

 

538-539--Brief Civil War in Britannia. Upon the death of High King Arthur, Rhun Hir
(“Rhun the Tall”), son of Maelgwn of Gwynedd, with assistance from King Budig ap
Erich of Brittany, forms an alliance with Llywarch ap Rigenew of the House of
Brycheiniog and Meurig ap Idnerth of the House of Buellt (the latter two being heads of
the dispossessed ruling houses of two former sub-kingdoms which had been forcibly
consolidated with the Kingdom of Cernyw by order of High King Arthur), and invades
Britannia in an effort to seize the High Kingship for himself. Upon their landing in July
538, Kings Morgan ap Pasgen of Powys and King Vortipor mac Aricol of Dyfed declare
for the rebels, and together the combined host advances west toward the High King’s seat
at Caer Camulod. The new High King, Constantius, however, meets them in battle near
the town of Caer Letoceton (about 14 miles north of what would be, in OTL, the city of
Birmingham, England) on September 12, 538. Although many of the sub-kings of
Britannia declare themselves neutral, preferring to “sit on the fence” and see who wins
the contest, most rally behind the High King, and the combined armies of the High King
and the loyal sub-kings destroy those of rebels. Rhun Hir is killed in the battle, and both
Llywarch and Meurig are captured shortly afterward. Kings Morgan ap Pasgen of Powys
and King Vortipor mac Aricol of Dyfed both escape to their respective kingdoms, where
they are besieged in their fortresses. These, in turn, surrender to Constantius before the
end of the year, and Constantius orders both Vortipor and Morgan executed, along with
Llywarch and Meurig, in early 539. Constantius, however, unlike his father, does not
dispossess and exile the remaining members of the royal houses of Powys and Dyfed.
Instead, he allows these dynasties to continue to rule, after taking an oath of loyalty and
providing hostages to the High King. It is here also that Constantius begins the policy of
using dynastic marriage to bind the royal houses of the sub-kingdoms with the House of
Ambrosius, wedding two of his sisters to the new King Pedr ap Cyngar of Dyfed and
King Cynan Garwyn ap Brochfael of Powys. The ties thus formed will prove to be
solid...indeed, King Pedr of Dyfed will name his own son “Arthur,” after High King
Constantius’s father...and long-lasting. Dyfed and Powys will thereafter be among the
most loyal of the sub-kingdoms of Britannia.

539 onward--The standard of resistance by those Britons opposed to the rule of the
Ambrosian High Kings in Britannia is taken up by Beli ap Rhun of the House of
Gwynedd, who escaped from the battle of Caer Letoceton and returned to Brittany in
early 539. From his base at the court of the Kings of Brittany, Beli will intrigue with the
kings of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes against the High King, and Beli will lead a small
force (composed primarily of Breton troops and Frankish mercenaries) allied to King
Caewlin of Wessex during the Battle of Bedford in 571. But for the most part, Beli’s
intrigues bear little fruit, and he dies, childless, bitter and abandoned, in 599. With him
dies the last serious resistance by Britons to the rule of the Ambrosian High Kings in
Britannia, as the policy of dynastic marriage being pursued by the High Kings has
increasingly borne fruit and bonded the various royal houses to that of the High King.
Although the Kings of Brittany remain opposed to the Ambrosian House, they find their
own attention increasingly focused on maintaining their own independence from the
encroachments of the Franks to their east, and by the final decades of the sixth century
have ceased interfering in the affairs of Britannia.

540—King Octa of Kent dies. Eormenric ascends the throne.

544-- Assassination of Tuathal Malegarb, King of Tara.

c.545--The Synod of Brefi is held at Llandewi Brefi to condemn the Pelagian heresy.

547—The Angles, under a chieftain named Ida, overthrow the kingdom of Bryneich and
expel King Morgan Bulc, who flees to Gododdin. Foundation of the Kingdom of
Bernicia.

549--The "Yellow" Plague (part of the wider “Plague of Justinian” which devastated large
parts of Europe and the Middle East during the time period) hits British territories,
causing many deaths. Ireland also affected. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, for whatever
reason, are mostly unaffected by it. British defenses are severely weakened, and the
invaders will take advantage to expand their realms in the intervening years. However,
the High King’s mobile cavalry force remains in being, and thus the British are able to
more effectively resist than in OTL.

550-570--Expansion of the Kingdoms of Wessex, Essex, Deira and Bernicia at the
expense of the Britons during the chaos following the Yellow Plague, but not as much as
OTL due to more effective British resistance.

552--King Cynric of Wessex lays siege to the British at the hill fort of Old Sarum in
Dwrn Gwarae and put them to flight. In the wake of this victory, Wessex over-runs the
kingdoms of Dwrn Gwarae and Caer Gwinntguic.

556--King Cynric of Wessex lays siege to the British at Barbury Castle, in Caer Gloui,
but High King Constantius arrives with the mobile cavalry force and the Saxons are
defeated. Cynric and Constantius agree to a treaty fixing the boundaries of Wessex, which
Cynric will respect to the end of his days.

557-559—King Cynric of Wessex wars against King Eormenric of Kent, pushing the
Jutes back to the a line nearly equivalent to the modern borders of Kent.

557—King Sawyl Penuchel of The Peak dies without a male heir. His only daughter is
married to a Prince of Elmet. Elmet absorbs The Peak, which ceases to exist.

558--St. Brendan the Voyager founds Clonfert.

559--Death of King Ida of Bernicia. His kingdom is divided among his sons…Glappa,
Adda, Aethelric, Theodric, and Frithuwald, all of whom claim the supreme kingship of
Bernicia at different times during the next quarter century.

559--Angles under the leadership of a chieftain named Aelle overthrow the Kingdom of
Deywr, killing it’s last king. Aelle becomes the first ruler of the new Kingdom of Deira.

 

560—Death of King Cynric of Wessex. Caewlin ascends the throne. Death of King
Eormenric of Kent. Aethelbert I ascends the throne.

c. 560—Death of King Cissa of Sussex. Aelle II ascends the throne.

c. 560-561--Battle of Cul Dreimne, Diarmait mac Cerbail defeated by the Columba's
Northern Ui Neill.

561--Columba, an Irish churchman, exiles himself from Ireland, and goes to Iona, a small
Island (three miles by one and a half) just off a larger Island called Mull, off the West
coast of Scotland. He takes with him twelve disciples in a hide-skin craft, and sails across
the North Sea. They land at Port na Curaich (Harbour of the Coracle), on the southern tip
of Iona.

562--Asecond phase of Northern Ui Neill expansion into Ulster begins; Battle of Moin
Dairi Lothair won by the Northern Ui Neill over the Cruthin of the Ulaid.

c. 563--Columba founds a monastery on Iona and begins conversion of the Picts to
Christianity.

564--Aed Dub mac Suibne, King of the Uslter , defeats and killed Diarmait mac Cerbaill,
King of Tara.

565—King Gwenddolew of Caer Luel dies without a male heir. He has three daughters,
one of which is married to a prince of Rheged, the second to a prince of Gododdin, and
the third to a prince of Strathclyde. To prevent a civil war, High King Constantius
arbitrates, and the kingdom of Caer Luel is divided between the kings of Gododdin,
Rheged and Strathclyde. Caer Luel ceases to exist. In Ireland, Ainmere son of Setna
becomes High King at Tara.

567--Colman Bec, son of Diarmait mac Cerbaill joins Connall mac Comgall, King of
Dalriada on a raid to the Hebrides.

568--Murder of Ainmere, son of Setna, High King of Tara, by Fergus son of Nellen.

569--St. David holds the Synod of Victoria to denounce the Pelagian heresy once more.
High King Constantius dies, and Crown Prince Artorius succeeds to the High Kingship,
calling himself Arthur II.

570--A son is born to High King Arthur II. In an effort to finally unite the "Roman" and
"Celtic" factions firmly behind his rule, Arthur II has married a princess of Gododdin, one
of the strongholds of the "Celtic" faction. He gives his new son the name of Cadwaladyr
Artorianus Ambrosius, as a symbol of the unity of the factions. Crown Prince Cadwaladyr
is installed as King of Gwynedd. Also in this year, High King Arthur II orders the British
church to send missionaries into the lands of the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes. These are
well received in those kingdoms which acknowledge the British High King as overlord,
but missionaries are murdered by the pagans in other areas, including Wessex, Bernicia,
Deira and Kent. Missionaries to Sussex and Essex are not murdered outright, but receive
a cool reception.

570—The King of Gallgaedhel dies childless. The nearest male claimant to the throne is
the King of Strathclyde, who is descended from the daughter of a previous king of
Gallgaedhel. High King Arthur II approves the union of the two kingdoms, and
Gallgaedhel ceases to exist as a separate kingdom.

c.570-75--The Northern British Alliance is forged between the kingdoms of Rheged,
Strathclyde, Gododdin, Eborac and Elmet.

571--King Caewlin of Wessex invades Midland Britain, violating the Treaty of Barbury,
and defeats King Cadrod of Calchvynedd at the Battle of Bedford. However, High King
Arthur II arrives with the mobile cavalry force and the Saxons are forced to retreat back to
their own territory. King Wehha of East Anglia dies, and his son Wuffa ascends the
throne. Shortly after taking power, King Wuffa becomes the first of the heathen kings to
convert to Christianity.

571-587--Angry over the breach of the Treaty of Barbury by Caewlin of Wessex, High
King Arthur II decides to eliminate the threat of Wessex once and for all. Arthur
concludes an alliance with King Aelle II of Sussex (a bitter rival of Wessex) and, in a
campaign that sees many battles, Arthur II first reclaims Dwrn Gwarae and Caer
Gwinntguic, then invades Wessex itself. By 587, the Saxons of Wessex have been totally
defeated. The British (as they earlier did in Caer Lerion) ravage the land, slaughtering or
putting to flight the Saxon inhabitants. Most of the Saxons flee to Sussex, Kent, and
Essex. King Caewlin and the remaining members of the Wessex royal house establish
themselves on the Isle of Wight, where they will make themselves a nuisance by raiding
and other piratical activity for many years. The conquered territory is divided between
Sussex and the British High King, who claims the territory as his personal land by right of
conquest.

572-592--Cruithin Beatan mac Cairell , King of Ulster and 'High King' of Tara.

573—The kings of Middle Anglia and Lindsay follow the example of Wuffa of East
Anglia, and convert to Christianity.

574--Death of King Conall mac Comgall of Dalriada who granted Iona to Columba;
Columba conscrates Aeddan mac Gabran king of Dalriada.

575--Prince Owein of Rheged kills King Theodric of Bernicia at the Battle of Leeming
Lane. Convention of Drum Cett between Aed mac Ainmerch, King of the Northern Ui
Neill and Aeddan mac Gabran of Dalriada in which St. Columba negoitates an alliance.

578—King Wuffa of East Anglia dies. Tyttla ascends the throne.

577--Baedan of Ulster claims the Isle of Man. Death of St. Brendan the Voyager of
Clonfert.

580--The army of King Peredyr of Eborac marches north to fight the Angles of Bernicia.
King Adda’s forces kill Peredyr in battle and destroy most of his army. The Deirans,
under King Aelle, take advantage of the temporary weakness of Eborac, and move on the
city of Eborac (York) itself. King Peredyr's son is forced to flee the Kingdom. Deira and
Bernicia swallow up most of Eborac shortly afterward (Elmet and Rheged take the rest),
and Eborac ceases to exist. Battle of King Aeddan mac Gabran of Dalriada in the
Orkneys.

582-- Battle of Manu (Isle of Man) won by King Aeddan mac Gabran of Dalriada.

585—King Adda of Bernicia dies. Hussa ascends to the throne of the reunited kingdom.

587 onward--Arthur II follows the example of his grandfather and namesake and
encourages British re-settlement and development of the newly re-conquered lands of
Dwrn Gwarae and Caer Gwinntguic. The addition of these lands to the personal holdings
of the British High King gives him a substantial independent tax base which he can
exploit to rebuild his kingdom and to maintain and expand his military.

587—King Aescwine of Essex dies, and Sledda ascends the throne. In the wake of their
joint victory over Wessex, King Aelle II of Sussex acknowledges the British High King
as overlord and converts to Christianity.

 

British Heavy Cavalryman of the type added to the High King's

mobile cavalry force by High King Arthur II.

588--In this year, a British monk sent as ambassador from the High King to the Pope in
Rome sees Lombard cavalry clad in chain mail and armed with sword, lance, and shield.
The monk reports his observations to High King Arthur II, and Arthur decides to add a
force of mail-armored cavalry to his mobile cavalry force, which will be accomplished
over the next several years.

588-626-- Cruithin Fiachnae mac Beatain becomes King of Ulster and 'high king' of
Ireland.

589—King Aelle of Deira dies. Aethelric ascends the throne.

 

590--The Siege of Lindisfarne. The Northern British Alliance (Gododdin, Rheged,
Strathclyde, and Elmet) makes an alliance with King Aethelric of Deira and lays siege to
King Hussa of Bernicia. The combined British/Deiran force almost exterminates the
Bernicians from Northern Britain. King Urien of Rheged (who has been given the title of
Dux Britanniarum and overall command of the Northern British armies by High King
Arthur II) is assassinated by a jealous rival. The allies begin to squabble among
themselves, and the siege is abandoned. The Bernicians are given a respite to recover.

590--High King Arthur II has completed his upgrade of the mobile cavalry force. The
force now consists of approximately 2,000 men. About 800 of these are light cavalry with
shields, swords, and javelins; about 700 are medium cavalry armored in leather armor,
with small shields, swords, and either spears or javelins; and slightly over 500 are the new
heavy cavalry, clad in chain mail, with large round shields, swords, and lances.

591—King Caewlin of Wessex (Wight) dies. Ceol ascends the throne.

593—King Hussa of Bernicia dies. Aethelfrith ascends the throne. King Tyttla of East
Anglia dies. Raedwald ascends the throne.

595--A son is born to Crown Prince Cadwaladyr. Influenced by his mother and his wife,
both of whom are from traditionally "Celtic-faction" lands, and recognizing the general
trends in his Kingdom (which has evolved culturally farther and farther away from
Roman ways over the years), Cadwaladyr has abandoned the old custom of giving Roman
names to his children. Accordingly, the boy is named simply Hywel ap Cadwaladyr of the
House of Ambrosius.

597—King Ceol of Wessex (Wight) dies. Ceolwulf ascends the throne. Bishop Augustine
arrives in Kent, on a mission from Pope Gregory in Rome to convert the heathen Saxons.
He is also charged with bringing the “heretical” British church (which maintains it’s own
independent hierarchy of Bishops and calculates the date of Easter differently than does
the church at Rome) under the authority of Rome. Augustine lands in Kent and is
welcomed by King Aethelbert whose Frankish Queen is already a Christian practicing at
her church of St. Martin's, Canterbury. Augustine converts Aethelbert and his court to
Christianity and founds a monastery at Canterbury. Commencement of the erection of a
monastery at St. Augustine's, Canterbury, built from the Roman ruins of the old city. Also
in this year, St. Columba of Iona dies.

598 - King Cynan of Gododdin, who has been named the new Dux Britanniarum by High
King Arthur II, leads the Northern British armies to fight Bernicia at the Battle of
Catterick. The British are victorious, and soon afterward lay siege to the Bernician King
Aethelfrith at his stronghold of Bamburgh. High King Arthur II brings his mobile forces
to join the assault, and Bamburgh falls. Aethelfrith is killed, and the Kingdom of Bernicia
is eliminated from the map of Britain. The lands are divided between the High King and
the kings of Gododdin, Elmet, Strathclyde and Rheged. The High King’s portion is
named the province of Bryneich and Eborac. Battle of Dun Bolg in which Brandub mac
Echach, King of Leinster, was killed by Aed mac Ainmerech, the Ui Neill High King.

 

599--To commemorate the great victory over the Angles of Bernicia and the reconquest
of Bryneich, High King Arthur II founds a monastery on the island of Ynys Metcaut
(known to the Angles as Lindisfarne), near the recently re-conquered town of Din Guardi
(or Bamburgh, as it had been known by the Angles of Bernicia).

600--High King Arthur II dies. Crown Prince Cadwaladyr ascends to the throne. Crown
Prince Hywel is installed as King of Gwynedd.  At the orders of the new High King Cadwaladyr, the body of High King 

Arthur II is buried at the monastery which the deceased King founded on the island of Ynys Metcaut.

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