Vortigern
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The Text of Bede &
Gildas
Robert
Vermaat |
To understand a bit
clearer how heavily Bede had to rely on Gildas, I have
printed here a comparison between Gildas’ De
excidio et conquestu Britanniae (left), and
Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum
(right). I have edited Bede’s work only in that
sense that I have left out the introduction to each
chapter and those passages (marked with (..) where gives
us extra details to enhance Gildas’ work, most of
which are geographical. Both editions are 19th century
ones, Gildas by J.A. Giles and Bede by the rev. William
Hurst. Though these are the only English e-texts
available, the reader should be aware that they are not
perceived as the best translations.
Gildas - De
excidio et conquestu Britanniae
(chapters 14-26)_______________________
[14] After this, Britain is left deprived of all
her soldiery and armed bands, of her cruel
governors, and of the flower of her youth, who
went with Maximus, but never again returned; and
utterly ignorant as she was of the art of war,
groaned in amazement for many years under the
cruelty of two foreign nation--the Scots from the
north-west and the Picts from the north.
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Bede - Historia
Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum
(chapters 12-16)_______________________
[12] FROM that time, the British part of Britain,
destitute of armed soldiers, of all military
stores, and of the whole flower of its active
youth, who had been led away by the rashness of
the tyrants never to return, was wholly exposed
to rapine, the people being altogether ignorant
of the use of weapons. Whereupon they suffered
many years from the sudden invasions of two very
savage nations from beyond the sea, the Scots
from the west, and the Picts from the north.(..)
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[15] The Britons, impatient at the assaults of
the Scots and Picts, their hostilities and
dreadful oppressions, send ambassadors to Rome
with letters, entreating in piteous terms the
assistance of an armed band to protect them, and
offering loyal and ready submission to the
authority of Rome, if they only would expel their
invading foes. A legion is immediately sent,
forgetting their past rebellion, and provided
sufficiently with arms. When they had crossed
over the sea and landed, they came at once to
close conflict with their cruel enemies, and slew
great numbers of them. All of them were driven
beyond the borders, and the humiliated natives
rescued from the bloody slavery which awaited
them. By the advice of their protectors, they not
built a wall across the island from one sea to
the other, which being manned with a proper
force, might be a terror to the foes whom it was
intended to repel, and a protection to their
friends whom it covered. But this wall, being
made of turf instead of stone, was of no use to
that foolish people, who had no head to guide
them. |
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On account of the attacks of these nations, the
Britons sent messengers to Rome with letters
piteously praying for succour, and promising
perpetual subjection, provided that the impending
enemy should be driven away. An armed legion was
immediately sent them, which, arriving in the
island, and engaging the enemy, slew a great
multitude of them, drove the rest out of the
territories of their allies, and having in the
meanwhile delivered them from their worst
distress, advised them to build a wall between
the two seas across the island, that it might
secure them by keeping off the enemy. So they
returned home with great triumph. But the
islanders building the wall which they had been
told to raise, not of stone, since they had no
workmen capable of such a work, but of sods, made
it of no use. (..) |
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[16] The Roman legion had no sooner returned home
in joy and triumph, than their former foes, like
hungry and ravening wolves, rushing with greedy
jaws upon the fold which is left without a
shepherd, and wafted both by the strength of
oarsmen and the blowing wind, break through the
boundaries, and spread slaughter on every side,
and like mowers cutting down the ripe corn, they
cut up, tread under foot, and overrun the whole
country. |
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But the former enemies, when they perceived that
the Roman soldiers were gone, immediately coming
by sea, broke into the borders, trampled and
overran all places, and like men mowing ripe
corn, bore down all before them. |
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[17] And now again they send suppliant
ambassadors, with their garments rent and their
heads covered with ashes, imploring assistance
from the Romans, and like timorous chickens,
crowding under the protecting wings of their
parents, that their wretched country might not
altogether be destroyed, and that the Roman name,
which now was but an empty sound to fill the ear,
might not become a reproach even to distant
nations. Upon this, the Romans, moved with
compassion, as far as human nature can be, at the
relations of such horrors, send forward, like
eagles in their flight, their unexpected bands of
cavalry by land and mariners by sea, and planting
their terrible swords upon the shoulders of their
enemies, they mow them down like leaves which
fall at the destined period; and as a
mountain-torrent swelled with numerous streams,
and bursting its banks with roaring noise, with
foaming crest and yeasty wave rising to the
stars, by whose eddying currents our eyes are as
it were dazzled, does with one of its billows
overwhelm every obstacle in its way, so did our
illustrious defenders vigorously drive our
enemies' band beyond the sea, if any could so
escape them; for it was beyond those same seas
that they transported, year after year, the
plunder which they had gained, no one daring to
resist them. |
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Hereupon messengers were again sent to Rome
miserably imploring aid, lest their wretched
country should be utterly blotted out, and the
name of a Roman province, so long renowned among
them, overthrown by the cruelties of foreign
races, might become utterly contemptible. A
legion was accordingly sent again, and, arriving
unexpectedly in autumn, made great slaughter of
the enemy, obliging all those that could escape,
to flee beyond the sea; whereas before, they were
wont yearly to carry off their booty without any
opposition. |
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[18] The Romans, therefore, left the country,
giving notice that they could no longer be
harassed by such laborious expeditions, nor
suffer the Roman standards, with so large and
brave an army, to be worn out by sea and land by
fighting against these unwarlike, plundering
vagabonds; but that the islanders, inuring
themselves to warlike weapons, and bravely
fighting, should valiantly protect their country,
their property, wives and children, and, what is
dearer than these, their liberty and lives; that
they should not suffer their hands to be tied
behind their backs by a nation which, unless they
were enervated by idleness and sloth, was not
more powerful than themselves, but that they
should arm those hands with buckler, sword, and
spear, ready for the field of battle; and,
because they thought this also of advantage to
the people they were about to leave, they, with
the help of the miserable natives, built a wall
different from the former, by public and private
contributions, and of the same structure as walls
generally, extending in a straight line from sea
to sea, between some cities, which, from fear of
their enemies, had there by chance been built.
They then give energetic counsel to the timorous
natives, and leave them patterns by which to
manufacture arms. Moreover, on the south coast
where their vessels lay, as there was some
apprehension lest the barbarians might land, they
erected towers at stated intervals, commanding a
prospect of the sea; and then left the island
never to return. |
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Then the Romans declared to the Britons, that
they could not for the future undertake such
troublesome expeditions for their sake, and
advised them rather to take up arms and make an
effort to engage their enemies, who could not
prove too powerful for them, unless they
themselves were enervated by cowardice. Moreover,
thinking that it might be some help to the
allies, whom they were forced to abandon, they
constructed a strong stone wall from sea to sea,
in a straight line between the towns that had
been there built for fear of the enemy, where
Severus also had formerly built a rampart. This
famous wall, which is still to be seen, was
raised at public and private expense, the Britons
also lending their assistance. It is eight feet
in breadth, and twelve in height, in a straight
line from east to west, as is still evident to
beholders. This being presently finished, they
gave the dispirited people good advice, and
showed them how to furnish themselves with arms.
Besides, they built towers to command a view of
the sea, at intervals, on the southern coast,
where their ships lay, because there also the
invasions of the barbarians were apprehended, and
so took leave of their allies, never to return
again. |
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[19] No sooner were they gone, than the Picts and
Scots, like worms which in the heat of mid-day
come forth from their holes, hastily land again
from their canoes, in which they had been carried
beyond the Cichican valley, differing one from
another in manners, but inspired with the same
avidity for blood, and all more eager to shroud
their villainous faces in bushy hair than to
cover with decent clothing those parts of their
body which required it. Moreover, having heard of
the departure of our friends, and their
resolution never to return, they seized with
greater boldness than before on all the country
towards the extreme north as far as the wall. To
oppose them there was placed on the heights a
garrison equally slow to fight and ill adapted to
run away, a useless and panic-struck company, who
slumbered away days and nights on their
unprofitable watch. Meanwhile the hooked weapons
of their enemies were not idle, and out wretched
countrymen were dragged from the wall and dashed
against the ground. Such premature death,
however, painful as it was, saved them from
seeing the miserable sufferings of their brothers
and children. But why should I say more? They
left their cities, abandoned the protection of
the walls, and dispersed themselves in flight
more desperately than before. The enemy, on the
other hand, pursued them with more unrelenting
cruelty than before, and butchered our countrymen
like sheep, so that their habitations were like
those of savage beasts; for they turned their
arms upon each other, and for the sake of a
little sustenance, imbrued their hands in the
blood of their fellow countrymen. Thus foreign
calamities were augmented by domestic feuds; so
that the whole country was entirely destitute of
provisions, save such as could be procured in the
chase. |
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After their departure to their own country, the
Scots and Picts, understanding that they had
refused to return, at once came back, and growing
more confident than they had been before,
occupied all the northern and farthest part of
the island, driving out the natives, as far as
the wall. Hereupon a timorous guard was placed
upon the fortification, where, dazed with fear,
they became ever more dispirited day by day. On
the other side, the enemy constantly attacked
them with barbed weapons, by which the cowardly
defenders were dragged in piteous fashion from
the wall, and dashed against the ground. At last,
the Britons, forsaking their cities and wall,
took to flight and were scattered. The enemy
pursued, and forthwith followed a massacre more
grievous than ever before; for the wretched
natives were torn in pieces by their enemies, as
lambs arc torn by wild beasts. Thus, being
expelled from their dwellings and lands, they
saved themselves from the immediate danger of
starvation by robbing and plundering one another,
adding to the calamities inflicted by the enemy
their own domestic broils, till the whole country
was left destitute of food except such as could
be procured in the chase. |
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[20] Again, therefore, the wretched remnant,
sending to Agitus, a powerful Roman citizen,
address him as follows:--"To Agitus, now
consul for the third time: the groans of the
Britons." And again a little further,
thus:--"The barbarians drive us to the sea;
the sea throws us back on the barbarians: thus
two modes of death await us, we are either slain
or drowned." The Romans, however, could not
assist them, and in the meantime the discomfited
people, wandering in the woods, began to feel the
effects of a severe famine, which compelled many
of them without delay to yield themselves up to
their cruel persecutors, to obtain subsistence:
others of them, however, lying hid in mountains,
caves, and woods, continually sallied out from
thence to renew the war. And then it was, for the
first time, that they overthrew their enemies,
who had for so many years been living in their
country; for their trust was not in man, but in
God; according to the maxim of Philo, "We
must have divine assistance, when that of man
fails." The boldness of the enemy was for a
while checked, but not the wickedness of our
countrymen: the enemy left our people, but the
people did not leave their sins. [21] For it has always
been a custom with our nation, as it is at
present, to be impotent in repelling foreign
foes, but bold and invincible in raising civil
war, and bearing the burdens of their offences:
they are impotent, I say, in following the
standard of peace and truth, but bold in
wickedness and falsehood. The audacious invaders
therefore return to their winter quarters,
determined before long again to return and
plunder. And then, too, the Picts for the first
time seated themselves at the extremity of the
island, where they afterwards continued,
occasionally plundering and wasting the country.
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[13] In the year of our Lord 423, Theodosius, the
younger, the forty-fifth from Augustus, succeeded
Honorius and governed the Roman empire twenty-six
years. In the eighth year of his reign, Palladius
was sent by Celestinus, the Roman pontiff, to the
Scots that believed in Christ, to be their first
bishop. In the twenty-third year of his reign,
Aetius, a man of note and a patrician, discharged
his third consulship with Symmachus for his
colleague. To him the wretched remnant of the
Britons sent a letter, which began thus
:—"To Aetius, thrice Consul, the groans
of the Britons." And in the sequel of the
letter they thus unfolded their woes:—"
The barbarians drive us to the sea; the sea
drives us back to the barbarians: between them we
are exposed to two sorts of death; we are either
slaughtered or drowned." (..)Many cities also went to
ruin, and the famine and pestilential state of
the air destroyed thousands of men and cattle.
[14] IN the
meantime, the aforesaid famine distressing the
Britons more and more, and leaving to posterity a
lasting memory of its mischievous effects,
obliged many of them to submit themselves to the
depredators; though others still held out,
putting their trust in God, when human help
failed. These continually made raids from the
mountains, caves, and woods, and, at length,
began to inflict severe losses on their enemies,
who had been for so many years plundering the
country. The bold Irish robbers thereupon
returned home, intending’ to come again
before long. The Picts then settled down in the
farthest part of the island and afterwards
remained there; but they did not fail to plunder
and harass the Britons from time to time.
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During these truces, the wounds of the distressed
people are healed, but another sore, still more
venomous, broke out. No sooner were the ravages
of the enemy checked, than the island was deluged
with a most extraordinary plenty of all things,
greater than was before known, and with it grew
up every kind of luxury and licentiousness. It
grew with so firm a root, that one might truly
say of it, "Such fornication is heard of
among you, as never was known the like among the
Gentiles." But besides this vice, there
arose also every other, to which human nature is
liable, and in particular that hatred of truth,
together with her supporters, which still at
present destroys every thing good in the island;
the love of falsehood, together with its
inventors, the reception of crime in the place of
virtue, the respect shown to wickedness rather
than goodness, the love of darkness instead of
the sun, the admission of Satan as an angel of
light. Kings were anointed, not according to
God's ordinance, but such as showed themselves
more cruel than the rest; and soon after, they
were put to death by those who had elected them,
without any inquiry into their merits, but
because others still more cruel were chosen to
succeed them. If any one of these was of a milder
nature than the rest, or in any way more
regardful of the truth, he was looked upon as the
ruiner of the country, every body cast a dart at
him, and they valued things alike whether
pleasing or displeasing to God, unless it so
happened that what displeased him was pleasing to
themselves. (..) |
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Now, when the ravages of the enemy at length
abated, the island began to abound with such
plenty of grain as had never been known in any
age before; along with plenty, evil living
increased, and this was immediately attended by
the taint of all manner of crime; in particular,
cruelty, hatred of truth, and love of falsehood;
insomuch, that if any one among them happened to
be milder than the rest, and more inclined to
truth, all the rest abhorred and persecuted him
unrestrainedly, as if he had been the enemy of
Britain. Nor were the laity only guilty of these
things, but even our Lord’s own flock, with
its shepherds, casting off the easy yoke of
Christ, gave themselves up to drunkenness,
enmity, quarrels, strife, envy, and other such
sins. In the meantime, on a sudden, a grievous
plague fell upon that corrupt generation, which
soon destroyed such numbers of them, that the
living scarcely availed to bury the dead: yet,
those that survived, could not be recalled from
the spiritual death, which they had
incurred’ through their sins, either by the
death of their friends, or the fear of death. |
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[23] Then all the councillors, together with that
proud tyrant, were so blinded that, as a
protection to their country, they sealed its doom
by inviting in among them (like wolves into the
sheep-fold), the fierce and impious Saxons, a
race hateful both to God and men, to repel the
invasions of the northern nations. Nothing was
ever so pernicious to our country, nothing was
ever so unlucky. What palpable darkness must have
enveloped their minds--darkness desperate and
cruel! Those very people whom, when absent, they
dreaded more than death itself, were invited to
reside, as one may say, under the selfsame roof.
Foolish are the princes, as it is said, of
Thafneos, giving counsel to unwise Pharaoh. A
multitude of whelps came forth from the lair of
this barbaric lioness, in three cyuls, as they
call them, that is, in three ships of war, with
their sails wafted by the wind, and with omens
and prophecies favourable, for it was foretold by
a certain soothsayer among them, that they should
occupy the country to which they were sailing
three hundred years, and half of that time, a
hundred and fifty years, should plunder and
despoil the same. |
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Whereupon, not long after, a more severe
vengeance for their fearful crimes fell upon the
sinful nation. They held a council to determine
what was to be done, and where they should seek
help to prevent or repel the cruel and frequent
incursions of the northern nations; and in
concert with their King Vortigern, it was unanimously
decided to call the Saxons to their aid from
beyond the sea, which, as the event plainly
showed, was brought about by the Lord’s
will, that evil might fall upon them for their
wicked deeds.[15] In the year of our Lord 449,
Marcian, the forty-sixth from Augustus, being
made emperor with Valentinian, ruled the empire
seven years. Then the nation of the Angles, or
Saxons, being invited by the aforesaid king,
arrived in Britain with three ships of war and
had a place in which to settle assigned to them
by the same king,
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They first landed on the eastern side of the
island, by the invitation of the unlucky king,
and there fixed their sharp talons, apparently to
fight in favour of the island, but alas! more
truly against it. Their mother-land, finding her
fist brood thus successful, sends forth a larger
company of her wolfish offspring, which sailing
over, join themselves to their bastard-born
comrades. From that time the germ of iniquity and
the root of contention planted their poison
amongst us, as we deserved, and shot forth into
leaves and branches. The barbarians being thus
introduced as soldiers into the island, to
encounter, as they falsely said, any dangers in
defence of their hospitable entertainers, obtain
an allowance of provisions, which, for some time
being plentifully bestowed, stopped their doggish
mouths. Yet they complain that their monthly
supplies are not furnished in sufficient
abundance, and they industriously aggravate each
occasion of quarrel, saying that unless more
liberality is shown them, they will break the
treaty and plunder the whole island. In a short
time, they follow up their threats with deeds. [24] For the fire of
vengeance, justly kindled by former crimes,
spread from sea from sea, fed by the hands of our
foes in the east, and did not cease, until,
destroying the neighbouring towns and lands, it
reached the other side of the island, and dipped
its red and savage tongue in the western ocean.
In these assaults, therefore, no unlike that of
the Assyrian upon Judea, was fulfilled in our
case what the prophet describes in words of
lamentation: "They have burned with fire the
sanctuary; they have polluted on earth the
tabernacle of thy name." And again, "O
God, the gentiles have come into thine
inheritance; thy holy temple have they
defiled," &c. So that all the columns
were levelled with the ground by the frequent
strokes of the battering-ram, all the husbandmen
routed, together with their bishops, priests, and
people, whilst the sword gleamed, and the flames
crackled around them on every side. Lamentable to
behold, in the midst of the streets lay the tops
of lofty towers, tumbled to the ground, stones of
high walls, holy altars, fragments of human
bodies, covered with livid clots of coagulated
blood, looking as if they had been squeezed
together in a press; and with no chance of being
buried, save in the ruins of the houses, or in
the ravening bellies of wild beasts and birds;
with reverence be it spoken for their blessed
souls, if, indeed, there were many found who were
carried, at that time, into the high heaven by
the holy angels. So entirely had the vintage,
once so fine, degenerated and become bitter,
that, in the words of the prophet, where was
hardly a grape or ear of corn to be seen where
the husbandman had turned his back.
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in the eastern part of the island, on the pretext
of fighting in defence of their country, whilst
their real intentions were to conquer it.
Accordingly they engaged with the enemy, who were
come from the north to give battle, and the
Saxons obtained the victory. When the news of
their success and of the fertility of the
country, and the cowardice of the Britons,
reached their own home, a more considerable fleet
was quickly sent over, bringing a greater number
of men, and these, being added to the former
army, made up an invincible force. The newcomers received of
the Britons a place to inhabit among them, upon
condition that they should wage war against their
enemies for the peace and security of the
country, whilst the Britons agreed to furnish
them with pay. Those who came over were of the
three most powerful nations of
Germany—Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. (..)
In a short time,
swarms of the aforesaid nations came over into
the island, and the foreigners began to increase
so much, that they became a source of terror to
the natives themselves who had invited them.
Then, having on a sudden entered into league with
the Picts, whom they had by this time repelled by
force of arms, they began to turn their weapons
against their allies. At first, they obliged them
to furnish a greater quantity of provisions; and,
seeking an occasion of quarrel, protested, that
unless more plentiful supplies were brought them,
they would break the league, and ravage all the
island; nor were they backward in putting their
threats into execution. In short, the fire
kindled by the hands of the pagans, proved
God’s just vengeance for the crimes of the
people; not unlike that which, being of old
lighted by the Chaldeans, consumed the walls and
all the buildings of Jerusalem. For here, too,
through the agency of the pitiless conqueror, yet
by the disposal of the just Judge, it ravaged all
the neighbouring cities and country, spread the
conflagration from the eastern to the western
sea, without any opposition, and overran the
whole face of the doomed island. Public as well
as private buildings were overturned; the priests
were everywhere slain before the altars; no
respect was shown for office, the prelates with
the people were destroyed with fire and sword;
nor were there any left to bury those who had
been thus cruelly slaughtered.
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[25] Some, therefore, of the miserable remnant,
being taken in the mountains, were murdered in
great numbers; others, constrained by famine,
came and yielded themselves to be slaves for ever
to their foes, running the risk of being
instantly slain, which truly was the greatest
favor that could be offered them: some others
passed beyond the seas with loud lamentations
instead of the voice of exhortation. "Thou
hast given us as sheep to be slaughtered, and
among the Gentiles hast thou dispersed us."
Others, committing the safeguard of their lives,
which were in continual jeopardy, to the
mountains, precipices, thickly wooded forests,
and to the rocks of the seas (albeit with
trembling hearts), remained still in their
country. |
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Some of the miserable remnant, being taken in the
mountains, were butchered in heaps. Others, spent
with hunger, came forth and submitted themselves
to the enemy, to undergo for the sake of food
perpetual servitude, if they were not killed upon
the spot. Some, with sorrowful hearts, fled
beyond the seas. Others, remaining in their own
country, led a miserable life of terror and
anxiety of mind among the mountains, woods and
crags. |
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But in the meanwhile, an opportunity happening,
when these most cruel robbers were returned home,
the poor remnants of our nation (to whom flocked
from divers places round about our miserable
countrymen as fast as bees to their hives, for
fear of an ensuing storm), being strengthened by
God, calling upon him with all their hearts, as
the poet says,--"With their unnumbered vows
they burden heaven," that they might not be
brought to utter destruction, took arms under the
conduct of Ambrosius Aurelianus, a modest man,
who of all the Roman nation was then alone in the
confusion of this troubled period by chance left
alive. His parents, who for their merit were
adorned with the purple, had been slain in these
same broils, and now his progeny in these our
days, although shamefully degenerated from the
worthiness of their ancestors, provoke to battle
their cruel conquerors, and by the goodness of
our Lord obtain the victory. |
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[16] When the army of the enemy, having destroyed
and dispersed the natives, had returned home to
their own settlements, the Britons began by
degrees to take heart, and gather strength,
sallying out of the lurking places where they had
concealed themselves, and with one accord
imploring the Divine help, that they might not
utterly be destroyed. They had at that time for
their leader, Ambrosius Aurelianus, a man of
worth, who alone, by chance, of the Roman nation
had survived the storm, in which his parents, who
were of the royal race, had perished. Under him
the Britons revived, and offering battle to the
victors, by the help of God, gained the victory. |
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[26] After this, sometimes our countrymen,
sometimes the enemy, won the field, to the end
that our Lord might in this land try after his
accustomed manner these his Israelites, whether
they loved him or not, until the year of the
siege of Badon Hill, when took place also the
last almost, though not the least slaughter of
our cruel foes, which was (as I am sure)
forty-four years and one month after the landing
of the Saxons, and also the time of my own
nativity. |
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From that day, sometimes the natives, and
sometimes their enemies, prevailed, till the year
of the siege of Badon-hill, when they made no
small slaughter of those enemies, about
forty-four years after their arrival in England.
But of this hereafter. |
Bibliography 
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