41-579: De Excidio ("Concerning the Destruction") is a Latin title that may refer to: De excidio et conquestu Britanniae ("On the Ruin & Conquest of Britain") by Gildas De excidio Troiae ("On the Destruction of Troy") by " Dares the Phrygian " Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
82-542: A Primitive Irish spelling of the name: Votecorigas. If the man mentioned in both inscriptions was the same as Gildas' Vortiporius, we would expect the Latin and Irish forms to have been spelled *Vorteporigis and *Vortecorigas, respectively; the difference in spelling has led some to suggest that they are not the same person, though it is possible that they were related. Cuneglasse is the Cynglas (modern Welsh : Cynlas) of
123-649: A cryptotephra layer to the exact year CE 536 (previously dated to CE 529 before revision). This is strong evidence that a large explosive volcanic eruption caused the observed dimming and cooling, removing the need for an extraterrestrial explanation, but an impact event around this time period cannot be ruled out. The source of volcanic eruption remains to be found but several proposed volcanoes have been rejected: Geochemical analysis of CE 536 cryptotephras distinguishes at least three synchronous eruptive events in North America. Further analysis correlates one of
164-549: A connection between this king and the descendants of the great hero Ambrosius Aurelianus mentioned previously by Gildas; if this is true his kingdom may have been located somewhere in territory subsequently taken by the Anglo-Saxons. If the form Caninus should be connected with the Cuna(g)nus found in 6th-century writings, the result in the later royal genealogies would be Cynan, a commonly occurring name. However, this
205-470: A historical example serves to suggest the idea of moral and religious reform as a remedy for the invasions. Likewise, Wulfstan of York draws on Gildas to make a similar point in his sermons, particularly in the Sermo Lupi ad Anglos . Gildas's work is important for reasons beyond the historical information he provides. At the time when Gildas was writing Britain was Christian. Gildas uses Latin to address
246-461: A partial recovery. Ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica show evidence of substantial sulfate deposits in around 534 ± 2, which is evidence of an extensive acidic dust veil. It was originally theorized that the climatic changes of CE 536 were caused by either volcanic eruptions (a phenomenon known as " volcanic winter ") or impact events ( meteorite or comet ). In 2015, revision of polar ice core chronologies dated sulfate deposits and
287-588: A sacrifice to appease the gods and get the sunlight back. Mythological events such as the Fimbulwinter and Ragnarök are theorised to be based on the cultural memory of the event. A book written by David Keys speculates that the climate changes contributed to various developments, such as the emergence of the Plague of Justinian (541–549), the decline of the Avars , the migration of Mongol tribes towards
328-640: A still more carefully revised edition by Thomas Gale appeared at Oxford. It was frequently reprinted on the Continent during the 16th century, and once or twice since. The next English edition, described by August Potthast as editio pessima , was published by the English Historical Society in 1838, and edited by the Rev. J. Stevenson. The text of Gildas founded on Gale's edition collated with two other manuscripts, with elaborate introductions,
369-473: Is a condemnation of five kings for their various sins, including both obscure figures and relatively well-documented ones such as Maelgwn Gwynedd . Part III is a similar attack upon the British clergy of the age. Gildas's work is of great importance to historians, because, although it is not intended primarily as history, it is almost the only surviving source written by a near-contemporary of British events in
410-471: Is a speculation. Vortiporius (Vortipore, Old Welsh Guortepir ) was a king of Demetia ( Dyfed ) who is well-attested in both Welsh and Irish genealogies, the son of Aircol. Though it is not easily supportable on linguistic grounds, some scholars maintain that he is mentioned on a memorial stone (discovered in 1895) bearing an inscriptions in both Latin and ogham . The Latin inscription reads Memoria Voteporigis protictoris . The ogham inscription consists of
451-596: Is actually found in the extensive quotations and paraphrases of the De Excidio made by Bede in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People , the earliest manuscripts of which date to the eighth century. Gildas's treatise was first published in 1525 by Polydore Vergil but with many avowed alterations and omissions. In 1568 John Joscelyn , secretary to Archbishop Parker , issued a new edition of it more in conformity with manuscript authority; and in 1691
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#1732765553137492-506: Is evidence of still another volcanic eruption in 547 which would have extended the cool period. The volcanic eruptions caused crop failures, and were accompanied by the Plague of Justinian , famine, and millions of deaths and initiated the Late Antique Little Ice Age , which lasted from 536 to 560. The medieval scholar Michael McCormick wrote that 536 "was the beginning of one of the worst periods to be alive, if not
533-662: Is included in the Monumenta Historica Britannica . Another edition is in Arthur West Haddan and William Stubbs , Councils and ecclesiastical documents relating to Great Britain and Ireland (Oxford, 1869); the latest edition is that by Mommsen in Monumenta Germaniae Historica auct. antiq. xiii. (Chronica min. iii.), 1898. The text as it is used today is thus a scholarly reconstruction; the prime witness and possibly
574-687: Is one of the few works written in Britain to survive from the fifth or sixth centuries. In a convoluted passage in De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae , Gildas can be interpreted as equating the year of his birth with the same year as the Battle of Mons Badonicus , which might have taken place in 482 AD. The oldest manuscript of the De Excidio is Cottonian MS. Vitellius A. VI, of the tenth century, damaged by fire in 1731, but used by Theodor Mommsen in his edition nevertheless. Other manuscripts include
615-515: The Book of Revelation , likening the kings to the beasts described there: a lion, a leopard, a bear, and a dragon. The kings excoriated by Gildas are: The reason for Gildas's disaffection for these individuals is unknown. He was selective in his choice of kings, as he had no comments concerning the kings of the other British kingdoms that were thriving at the time, such as Rheged , Gododdin , Glywysing , Brycheiniog , Ceredigion , Powys , Elmet , or
656-527: The extreme weather events of 535–536 , because he mentions a "certain thick mist and black night" which "sits upon the whole island" of Britain. However, if this interpretation is correct, he fails to record the subsequent famine in the year 537. Breeze's hypothesis is disputed. Gildas' intent in his writing was to preach to his contemporaries in the manner of an Old Testament prophet, not to write an account for posterity. Thus, he gives historical details where it serves his purpose; for instance, he offers one of
697-628: The history of Britain in the fifth and sixth centuries, as it is the only significant historical source for the period written by a near contemporary of the people and events described. Part I contains a narrative of British history from the Roman conquest to Gildas' time; it includes references to Ambrosius Aurelianus and the Britons' victory against the Saxons at the Battle of Mons Badonicus . Part II
738-544: The Anglo-Saxon invasions, and draws out the implications of Gildas's thesis of loss of divine favour by the Britons to suggest that this favour has, in turn, passed to the now Christianised Anglo-Saxons. In the later Old English period, Gildas's writing provides a major model for Alcuin 's treatment of the Viking invasions, in particular his letters relating to the sack of Lindisfarne in 793. The invocation of Gildas as
779-643: The Avranches public library MS. No. 162 of the twelfth century, the Cambridge University Library MS. Ff. I. 27 of the twelfth century, and the Cambridge University Library MS. Dd. I. 17 of c. 1400. Cambridge Ff. I. 27 is the recension of a certain Cormac and differs sharply from the other manuscripts in that it contains a shortened form of various parts and has many textual readings peculiar to itself. The oldest attestation of Gildas's work
820-515: The Ruin and Conquest of Britain , sometimes just On the Ruin of Britain ) is a work written in Latin in the late fifth or sixth century by the British religious polemicist Gildas . It is a sermon in three parts condemning the acts of Gildas' contemporaries, both secular and religious, whom he blames for the dire state of affairs in sub-Roman Britain . It is one of the most important sources for
861-406: The apparent evidence presented in the book is highly debatable, based on poor sources or simply incorrect. [...] Nonetheless, both the global scope and the emphasis on the 6th century CE as a time of wide-ranging change are notable, and the book contains some obscure information that will be new to many. However, it fails to demonstrate its central thesis and does not offer a convincing explanation for
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#1732765553137902-627: The atmosphere, which reduced the solar radiation reaching the Earth's surface and cooled the atmosphere for several years. In March 536, Constantinople began experiencing darkened skies and lower temperatures. Summer temperatures in 536 fell by as much as 2.5 °C (4.5 °F) below normal in Europe. The lingering impact of the volcanic winter of 536 was augmented in 539–540, when another volcanic eruption caused summer temperatures to decline as much as 2.7 °C (4.9 °F) below normal in Europe. There
943-742: The boundaries of his own kingdom. He made donations to support Saint Brynach in Dyfed , Saint Cadoc in Gwynllwg , Saint Cybi in Anglesey , Saint Padarn in Ceredigion , and Saint Tydecho in Powys . He is also associated with the foundation of Bangor . The third part begins with the words, "Britain has priests, but they are fools; numerous ministers, but they are shameless; clerics, but they are wily plunderers." Gildas continues his jeremiad against
984-571: The clergy of his age but does not explicitly mention any names in this section, and so does not cast any light on the history of the Church in this period. Following the conquest of Britain described in De excidio , Gildas continued to provide an important model for Anglo-Saxon writers both in Latin and in English. Bede 's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum relies heavily on Gildas for its account of
1025-412: The entire manuscript stemma may not actually preserve the original page order of the autograph. The first part consists of Gildas' explanation for his work and a brief narrative of Roman Britain from its conquest under the principate to Gildas' time: Part I is particularly notable as the earliest source to mention Ambrosius Aurelianus , an important figure of British tradition credited with turning
1066-580: The entry corresponding to the year 535–536, the early 7th century Mandaean Book of Kings relates, "were you to request a tenth of a peck of grain in the land Gawkāy for five staters , we would look but it would not be found," an exchange of 873 grams of grain for 43 grams of gold, reflecting the scarcity of grain during this time. Michael the Syrian (1126–1199), a patriarch of the Syriac Orthodox Church , reported that during 536–537
1107-472: The eruptions to a widespread Mono Craters tephra identified in northeast California. The other two eruptions most likely originated from the eastern Aleutians and Northern Cordilleran volcanic province . The 536 event and ensuing famine have been suggested as an explanation for the deposition of hoards of gold by Scandinavian elites at the end of the Migration Period . The gold was possibly
1148-412: The fifth and sixth centuries. The usual date that has been given for the composition of the work is some time in the 540s, but it is now regarded as quite possibly earlier, in the first quarter of the sixth century, or even before that. The historian Karen George, in her study of Gildas' text, suggests a date range of c. 510 –530 AD, while the historian Stephen Joyce argues for c. 483–485 AD. In
1189-464: The first descriptions of Hadrian's Wall and perhaps the Antonine Wall , though his account of their history appears to be inaccurate. However, he omits details where they do not contribute to his message; he is consistently vague, giving few names and no firm dates. Nonetheless, De Excidio remains an important work not only for medieval history but also for British history in general, as it
1230-596: The kingdoms of southern England . Constantine is obscure. His Damnonia is generally identified with the kingdom of Dumnonia in present-day South West England . A number of later traditions refer to a king of this name in the area. Some scholars note the possibility that Gildas instead intended the area of the Damnonii in western Scotland, though Thomas D. O'Sullivan considers this unlikely. Aurelius Conanus , also called Caninus , cannot be connected to any particular region of Britain. John Edward Lloyd suggests
1271-463: The other kings (the power-giving dragon of the Apocalypse). The Isle of Anglesey was the base of power of the kings of Gwynedd, so describing Maelgwn as the 'dragon of the island' is appropriate. His pre-eminence over other kings is confirmed indirectly in other sources. For example, Maelgwn was a generous contributor to the cause of Christianity throughout Wales , implying a responsibility beyond
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1312-462: The royal genealogies, the son of Owain Ddantgwyn and grandson of Einion , son of Cunedda . He is associated with the southern Gwynedd region of Penllyn , and he was the ancestor of a later King of Gwynedd, Caradog ap Meirion . One of his brothers was Saint Seiriol . Maelgwn (Maglocune), King of Gwynedd , receives the most sweeping condemnation and is described almost as a high king over
1353-474: The rulers he excoriates and regards Britons, at least to some degree, as Roman citizens, despite the collapse of central imperial authority. By 597, when St Augustine arrived in Kent, England, or at least most of it, was populated by adherents of Anglo-Saxon paganism , and the new rulers did not think of themselves as Roman citizens. Dating Gildas's work more exactly would hence provide a little more certainty about
1394-570: The sun shone feebly for a year and a half. The Irish annals recorded the following: The mid-10th-century Annales Cambriae record for the year 537: In Chinese sources include: Further phenomena were reported by independent contemporary sources: There are other sources of evidence regarding this period. Tree ring analysis by the dendrochronologist Mike Baillie , of Queen's University Belfast , shows abnormally little growth in Irish oak in 536 and another sharp drop in 542, after
1435-473: The tide against the Anglo-Saxon conquest . It also contains the earliest mention of the Britons' victory at the Battle of Mons Badonicus . The second part consists of a condemnation of five British kings, and as it is the only contemporary information about them, it is of particular interest to scholars of British history. Gildas swathes the condemnations in allegorical beasts from the Book of Daniel and
1476-488: The timeline of the transition from post-Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England; a certainty that would be the more valuable as precise dates and reliable facts are extremely scarce for this period. Extreme weather events of 535%E2%80%93536 The volcanic winter of 536 was the most severe and protracted episode of climatic cooling in the Northern Hemisphere in the last 2,000 years. The volcanic winter
1517-531: The title De Excidio . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=De_Excidio&oldid=537748706 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages De excidio et conquestu Britanniae De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae ( Latin : On
1558-521: The view of the historian Guy Halsall : Despite this uncertainty, most scholars continue to favor a date c. 530-545, as supported by reports of the death of Gildas in the various Welsh and Irish annals: the Annales Cambriæ gives the year of his death as 570, while the Annals of Tigernach dates his death to 569. Andrew Breeze argues that Gildas was writing De Excidio in 536, in the middle of
1599-839: The west, the end of the Sasanian Empire , the collapse of the Gupta Empire , the rise of Islam, the expansion of Turkic tribes, and the fall of Teotihuacan . In 2000, a 3BM Television production (for WNET and Channel Four ) capitalised upon Keys' book. The documentary, under the name Catastrophe! How the World Changed , was broadcast in the US as part of PBS 's Secrets of the Dead series. However, Keys and Wohletz's ideas lack mainstream acceptance. Reviewing Keys' book, British archaeologist Ken Dark commented that "much of
1640-589: The worst year." The Roman historian Procopius recorded in CE 536 in his report on the wars with the Vandals , "during this year a most dread portent took place. For the sun gave forth its light without brightness... and it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse , for the beams it shed were not clear". In 538, the Roman statesman Cassiodorus described the following to one of his subordinates in letter 25: In
1681-613: Was caused by at least three simultaneous eruptions of uncertain origin, with several possible locations proposed in various continents. Most contemporary accounts of the volcanic winter are from authors in Constantinople , the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire , although the impact of the cooler temperatures extended beyond Europe. Modern scholarship has determined that in early CE 536 (or possibly late 535), an eruption ejected massive amounts of sulfate aerosols into