Book
V: Saxon settlement and rebellion
Although
later books will show that this turning point was
not as decisive as it is usually held to be, it
certainly represents the most fateful single
break with the Roman past, and therefore is
treated with attention. It helps that Gildas
gives a remarkably precise and understandable
account. I place at this point an assessment of
Gildas’ sources.
|
|
An analysis of
Gildas’ account of the Saxon settlement and
rebellion (ch.22-25) argues that it comes from a
contemporary account, different from E, and
highly tendentious. The text suggests that
Vortigern had called the Saxons about 432 to make
up for a shortfall of adult males caused by a
violent plague, and to resist a threatened
Pictish assault; and that the Saxons’
presence in Britain had caused the growth of an
anti-Saxon party of which the overthrown Mild
King, Ambrosius’ father, became a part. When
the Saxons revolted, one thing they did was to
murder him.
Overview of the
sources thus far identified in Gildas, including
the not properly historical ones (which are
important to assess the kind and quality of his
reading). It argues that his picture of history
is essentially party political, dependent on
sources selected (not by Gildas himself, but
before his time) for their support of Ambrosius
Aurelianus and his family; also, that there is a
leap in quality between information before and
after 407 - legendary before, wholly historical
after - which suggests that the establishment of
a British government had caused a leap in the
quality of records. I underline the importance of
the lost account of the Saxons war for whose
existence I argued in Book 1, ch.3, which I call
L.
History
of Britain, 407-597 is copyright © 2002, Fabio
P. Barbieri. Used with permission.
Comments
to: Fabio P.
Barbieri
|
