The History of the Kings of Britain

After conquering Gaul, Julius Caesar sets his sights on Britain, though he does not want to destroy the Britons since he regards them as fellow descendants of Trojan royalty. Caesar sends a letter to Cassivelaunus demanding that he pay tax to Rome. In his response, Cassivelaunus chastises Caesar for attempting to subjugate a Trojan kinsman and asserts that Britain will fight to defend its freedom. Caesar attacks. Cassivelaunus gathers his princes and advisors, who put up a spirited defense. Cassivelaunus’ brother Nennius battles Caesar, capturing his sword, but is eventually mortally wounded. Defeated, Caesar returns to Gaul with his troops. Inspired, the Gauls rebel, but Caesar buys off local chieftains, promises slaves their freedom and to restore to the disinherited “their lost possessions,” and thus retains his power (92).

Two years later, Caesar prepares a second assault of Britain. Despite displaying bravery, the Romans lose again. Caesar flees with his troops, and they retreat to the open sea while Cassivelaunus celebrates his second victory with sacrifices, feasts, and sporting events. During the celebration, a quarrel occurs between the king’s nephew, Hirelgdas, and the Duke of Androgeus’ nephew, Cuelinus. Cuelinus cuts off Hirelgdas’ head. Upset by his nephew’s murder, Cassivelaunus demands that Androgeus bring Cuelinus before him, but Androgeus refuses. Androgeus writes to Caesar asking for his help to defeat Cassivelaunus, who Androgeus accuses of unjustly harassing him. Caesar complies and sends troops to Britain. They succeed in subduing Cassivelaunus, who agrees to pay an annual tribute to Rome. He and Caesar become “friends and [give] each other presents” (98).

After Cassivelaunus’ death, Tenvantius assumes the throne. Around the time Jesus is born, Tenvantius’ son Cymbeline, who is friendly with the Romans, succeeds his father. His successor, Guiderius, refuses to pay Rome tribute, resulting in Claudius' attack on Britain. Guiderius dies in battle, and his brother Arvirargus succeeds him. His troops chase the Romans back to their ships. Claudius reassembles his troops, and Arvirargus prepares to lead another charge. However, Claudius asks for peace, fearing “the King’s courage and [...] the bravery of the Britons” and preferring to use “plot and diplomacy” to subdue them (100). Arvirargus agrees to accept Roman dominion in exchange for Claudius giving his daughter in marriage to the British king. Claudius returns to Rome. These events occur contemporaneously with “Peter the Apostle [founding] the church at Antioch” (101).

Arvirargus eventually becomes arrogant and looks down on Rome. Claudius sends Vespasian to subdue Arvirargus; the two sides meet in battle. Neither wins, and the two leaders make peace. As he grows older, Arvirargus becomes more deferential to Rome. His fame grows, and he is fondly remembered. His wise and prudent son Marius succeeds him. Marius establishes peace throughout Britain and develops “a close relationship” with Rome (103). After his death, his son Coilus, who grew up in Rome, assumes the throne and maintains respect for Rome. His son Lucius, who becomes king after his father, writes to Pope Eleutherius requesting “to be received by him into the Christian faith” (103). Eleutherius sends two “learned and religious men” to oversee Lucius’ conversion (103). Local tribes quickly followed Lucius’ example, ending paganism on the island.

Lucius dies without an heir in 156 CE, leading to dissension among the Britons and conflict with the Romans. The Senate sent Severus and two legions “to restore the country to Roman domination” (105). Sulgenius effectively leads the British revolt until, no longer able to resist, he sails to Scythia, where he recruits the local people to his cause. Returning to Britain, Sulgenius and his troops confront Severus in battle. Severus is killed and Sulgenius mortally wounded. Severus’ two sons, Bassianus (born of a British mother) and Geta (born of a Roman mother) battle for succession. Geta is killed, and Bassianus seizes the crown.

At this time, a young man called Carausius requests a fleet from Rome to defend the British coast. His request granted, Carausius uses the fleet to harass neighboring islands, destroy their fields, and sack and plunder their cities. After gathering followers, he demands to become king of Britain, promising to free the island from Roman dominion. His “promises and bribes” gain the loyalty of the Picts, who betray Bassianus (107). Carausius kills him, and in an ensuing battle, defeats his opponents. Rome sends Allectus and three legions to subdue his revolt. Allectus kills Carausius and massacres the Britons. They in turn promote as king Asclepiodotus, who challenges and subsequently defeats Allectus, who dies in battle. Livius Gallus, Allectus’ successor, attempts to barricade himself and his troops in the city of London. Asclepiodotus quickly arranges a siege of the city and implores the Britons to unite in strength to permanently drive the Romans from Britain. British leaders heed Asclepiodotus’ appeal. Together they assault the city and defeat the Romans. Asclepiodotus becomes king and reigns for ten years.

Contemporaneous with Asclepiodotus’ life occurs Emperor Diocletian’s persecution of the Christians, which “almost entirely obliterate[s]” Christian practice in Britain (108). Diocletian sends Maximianus Herculius to destroy Britain’s churches and kill their priests and congregants. Several saints and martyrs continue to be remembered, including Saint Albans and Julius and Aaron.

At that time, a duke called Coel leads a rebellion against Asclepiodotus, killing the king and assuming the crown. Hearing the news, Rome sends Senator Constantius, “a wise and courageous man,” to bring Britain back under Roman control (109). Coel sends an envoy to Constantius with a request for peace, and the two sign a treaty. Shortly after, Coel dies of illness. Constantius seizes the crown and marries Coel’s daughter, Helen. They have a son called Constantine, who eventually succeeds Constantius. At that time, a Roman tyrant called Maxentius alienates Roman citizens, who flee to Constantine. Their constant complaints encourage Constantine to capture Rome. During his absence from Britain, a duke called Octavius seizes the British throne. Constantine sends his wife’s uncle Trahern to recapture the island. Octavius is eventually defeated and flees to Norway. One of his followers, who stayed behind in Britain, assassinates Trahern. Octavius returns to Britain and drives away the Roman forces.

At the end of his life, Octavius seeks to secure a lasting peace between Rome and Britain by marrying his only child, a daughter, to a Roman senator called Maximianus, who is British on his father’s side and Roman on his mother’s. However, Octavius’ nephew Conanus, who had hoped to secure the crown, gathers forces to do battle with Maximianus. After “each had done the other as much harm as he knew how,” they make peace (115). Eventually, Maximianus became obsessed with power and decides he wanted “to subjugate the Gauls too” (115). He crosses the Channel and attacks and slaughters the Franks, then summons Conanus to promise him the kingship of Gaul. They gather troops and capture Rennes, massacring everyone in their path. Maximianus populates Gaul with 100 thousand Britons, thus creating “a second Britain” that he gives to Conanus (117). Maximianus proceeds to conquer “the remoter parts of Gaul” and Germany (117). He drives one of Rome’s two emperors out of the city and kills the second.

Meanwhile, Conanus subdues local revolts and resolves to find wives for his troops so they can secure heirs. He sends a message to Dionotus, acting king of Britain, who gathers 71 thousand young women, 11 thousand of noble birth, and sends them across the channel. Though many of the women were pleased, “an even greater number” were not, some because they did not want to leave their parents and homeland, others because they “preferred chastity to marriage” (118). Nevertheless, they sail out to sea and are overcome by strong winds. Those who do not drown at sea wash “ashore on an island inhabited by barbarians” and are either slaughtered or enslaved (118).

Learning that Maximianus has taken all of Britain’s soldiers to fight distant wars, the leaders of the Picts and Huns invade the island and slaughter those left behind unprotected. Hearing the news, Maximianus sends Gracianus to retake the island. While he and his troops send the invaders fleeing into Ireland, Maximianus is killed in Rome and his Britons driven out. Gracianus declares himself king of Britain but becomes so tyrannical that the people assassinate him. After his death, Britain’s enemies return from Ireland accompanied by Scots, Norwegians, and Danes. The Britons appeal to Rome, promising eternal subjugation in exchange for help. Rome sends a legion to subdue and drive out the enemy. The population is ordered to build a defensive wall, after which the Romans announce that Britain must learn to defend itself. The Romans have grown tired of fighting Britain’s wars and leave the island swearing never to return.

Following the Romans’ departure, Picts, Scots, Norwegians, Danes, and other enemies of Britain invade and slaughter the island. Geoffrey laments “the madness of Maximianus” that caused him to take its best warriors off of the island and the inevitable destruction “when a kingdom is handed over to the safe-keeping of its peasantry” (122). The Britons appeal to the Romans but receive no offer of help.