Chapter One: Lucius Dies Without Issue, and Is a Benefactor to the Churches. #

¹ Meanwhile, the glorious King Lucius greatly rejoiced at the progress that the true faith and worship had made throughout his kingdom. He permitted the possessions and lands that had formerly belonged to the temples of the gods to be put to better use and assigned to Christian churches. Since these churches deserved greater honour than the temples had received, he granted them extensive lands, manor houses and privileges of every kind. While engaged in these and other acts of great devotion, he died in the city of Gloucester and was honourably buried in the cathedral church, in the year 156 after the incarnation of our Lord. He left no children to succeed him, and after his death conflict arose among the Britons, while Roman power was greatly weakened.

Chapter Two: Severus, a Senator, Subdues Part of Britain: His War with Fulgenius. #

¹ When news of this reached Rome, the Senate sent Severus, a senator, with two legions to subdue the country. As soon as he arrived, he fought a battle with the Britons, forcing some of them to submit to him. Those whom he could not subdue, he sought to weaken through several fierce engagements and forced them to flee beyond Deira into Albania. Nevertheless, under the leadership of Fulgenius, they resisted him with all their strength and often inflicted great losses both on their own countrymen and on the Romans. Fulgenius brought to his aid all the people he could gather from the islands and consequently won frequent victories. Unable to withstand his incursions, the emperor ordered a wall to be built between Deira and Albania to prevent him from raiding their territory. It was therefore constructed from sea to sea at the common expense and, for a long time, prevented the enemy from approaching. When Fulgenius was no longer able to continue his resistance, however, he sailed to Scythia to seek the assistance of the Picts in restoring him to power. After gathering all the forces of that country, he returned to Britain with a great fleet and laid siege to York. When this news spread throughout the country, most of the Britons deserted Severus and joined Fulgenius. This did not cause Severus to abandon his campaign. Instead, he assembled the Romans and the remaining Britons who supported him, marched to York and fought Fulgenius. The battle was extremely fierce, and Severus was killed alongside many of his followers; Fulgenius was also mortally wounded. Severus was afterwards buried at York, which was captured by his legions. He left two sons, Bassianus and Geta. Geta’s mother was Roman, whereas Bassianus’s mother was British. After their father’s death, therefore, the Romans made Geta king, favouring him because both his parents were Roman. The Britons, however, rejected him and raised Bassianus to the throne because he was their countryman through his mother. This led to a battle between the two brothers, in which Geta was killed, leaving Bassianus to assume sovereignty.

Chapter Three: Carausius Is Raised to Be King of Britain. #

¹ At that time, there lived in Britain a young man of humble birth named Carausius. Having proved his courage in many battles, he went to Rome and asked the Senate for permission to defend Britain’s coasts with a fleet against incursions by barbarians. He promised that, if they granted his request, he would do more for the honour and service of the Roman state than merely deliver the kingdom of Britain into their hands. Deceived by his plausible promises, the Senate granted his request, and he returned to Britain with his commission under seal. Through corrupt means, he then assembled a fleet, enlisted a company of the bravest young men into his service and put to sea. He sailed around the entire kingdom, causing great unrest among the people. Meanwhile, he invaded the neighbouring islands, laying waste to countries, cities and towns and plundering the inhabitants of everything they possessed. His actions encouraged all kinds of lawless men to flock to him in the hope of plunder, and within a very short time he had gathered an army that no neighbouring prince could resist. This filled him with pride, and he proposed that the Britons should make him their king. In return, he promised to kill or banish the Romans and free the whole island from invasions by barbarous nations. After the Britons granted his request, he attacked and killed Bassianus, then assumed the government of the kingdom. Bassianus had been betrayed by the Picts whom Fulgenius, his mother’s brother, had brought with him into Britain. Bribed by Carausius’s promises and gifts, they deserted Bassianus in the midst of the battle and attacked his men instead of assisting him. The remaining troops were thrown into confusion and, unable to distinguish friend from foe, quickly gave way and left Carausius victorious. To reward the Picts for their part in his victory, Carausius gave them territory in Albania, where they afterwards remained, living among the Britons.

Chapter Four: Allectus Kills Carausius, but Is Afterwards Himself Slain in Flight by Asclepiodotus. #

¹ When news of Carausius’s actions reached Rome, the Senate commissioned Allectus, together with three legions, to kill the tyrant and restore the kingdom of Britain to Roman rule. No sooner had he arrived than he fought Carausius, killed him and assumed control of the government. He then cruelly oppressed the Britons because they had deserted the Roman state and supported Carausius. Unable to endure this treatment, the Britons proclaimed Asclepiodotus, Duke of Cornwall, their king. They then marched together against Allectus and challenged him to battle. Allectus was in London at the time, celebrating a feast in honour of his guardian gods. When he was informed of Asclepiodotus’s approach, he abandoned the sacrifice, led all his forces out to meet him and engaged him in a fierce battle. Asclepiodotus gained the advantage, scattered Allectus’s troops and put them to flight. During the pursuit, he killed many thousands of them, as well as King Allectus himself. Following this victory, Livius Gallus, Allectus’s colleague, gathered the remaining Romans, shut the city gates and stationed his men in the towers and other fortifications. He hoped either to resist Asclepiodotus by these means or at least to escape imminent death. Seeing this, Asclepiodotus laid siege to the city and sent word to all the dukes of Britain that he had killed Allectus and a great number of his men and was now besieging Gallus and the remaining Romans in London. He earnestly urged them to hasten to his aid, explaining how easy it would be to drive the entire Roman race out of Britain if they united their forces against those under siege. In answer to this summons came the Demetians, Venedotians, Deirans, Albanians and all the other peoples of British descent. As soon as they appeared before the duke, he ordered great numbers of siege engines to be constructed to break down the city walls. Everyone readily carried out his commands with great courage and launched a violent assault upon the city. Within a very short time, the walls were battered down and an entrance was opened. Once these preparations were complete, they launched a bloody attack upon the Romans. Seeing their fellow soldiers falling without respite, the Romans persuaded Gallus to offer their surrender in exchange for mercy and permission to depart, for all but one legion had now been killed, and that legion alone continued to resist. Gallus agreed to the proposal and surrendered himself and his men to Asclepiodotus, who intended to spare them. He was prevented, however, by a company of Venedotians, who rushed upon the Romans and beheaded them all that same day beside a stream within the city. From the commander’s name, the stream was afterwards called Nautgallim in the British language and Gallemborne in Saxon.

Chapter Five: Asclepiodotus Obtains the Crown. Dioclesian’s Massacre of the Christians in Britain. #

¹ With the Romans thus defeated, Asclepiodotus, with the consent of the people, placed the crown upon his own head. He governed the country with justice and peace for ten years and restrained the insolence and violence of plunderers and robbers. During his reign, the persecution of the Emperor Dioclesian began, and Christianity, which had remained established and undisturbed since the time of King Lucius, was almost entirely abolished throughout the island. This was chiefly the work of Maximianus Herculius, the commander of that tyrant’s army, by whose order all the churches were demolished and every copy of the Holy Scriptures that could be found was burnt in the public markets. The priests, together with the believers under their care, were also put to death, and eagerly pressed forward in crowds to obtain a swift passage to the joys of heaven, their true dwelling place. God therefore displayed his goodness towards us, for during that time of persecution, by his grace alone, he kindled the bright lamps of the holy martyrs to prevent deep darkness from spreading over the people of Britain. Their tombs and the places of their suffering might have kindled within us the greatest fervour of divine love, had the deplorable impiety of the barbarians not deprived us of them. Among the men and women who remained steadfast in the army of Christ and suffered martyrdom were Alban of Verulam and Julius and Aaron, both of the City of Legions. When Alban’s confessor, Amphibalus, was pursued by the persecutors and was about to be captured, Alban, moved by the fervour of his charity, first concealed him in his house and then offered to die in his place. In doing so, he imitated Christ himself, who laid down his life for his sheep [John 10:11, 15]. Julius and Aaron, after being torn limb from limb in an unheard-of manner, received the crown of martyrdom and were raised to the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem [Hebrews 12:22].

Chapter Six: An Insurrection Against Asclepiodotus by Coel, Whose Daughter Helena Marries Constantius. #

¹ Meanwhile, Coel, Duke of Kaercolvin, or Colchester, rebelled against King Asclepiodotus, killed him in a pitched battle and took possession of his crown. When the Senate heard this, they rejoiced at the death of the king who had caused such disruption to Roman rule. Reflecting on the losses they had suffered through the loss of the kingdom, they sent the senator Constantius, a prudent and courageous man who had brought Spain under their rule and who was more diligent than anyone else in promoting the welfare of the Roman state. When Coel learned of his approach, he was afraid to face him in battle because it was reported that no king could withstand him. Therefore, as soon as Constantius arrived on the island, Coel sent ambassadors to him offering peace and submission, on condition that he should retain the kingdom of Britain and pay no more than the customary tribute to the Roman state. Constantius accepted this proposal, and peace was established between them after hostages had been given. The following month, Coel was seized by a severe illness and died within eight days. After his death, Constantius himself was crowned and married Coel’s daughter, whose name was Helena. She surpassed all the women of the country in beauty, just as she surpassed all others of her time in her knowledge of music and the liberal arts. Her father had no other children to succeed him on the throne, and for this reason he had taken great care over her education so that she would be better qualified to govern the kingdom. Constantius therefore took her as his wife, and she bore him a son named Constantine. After eleven years, Constantius died at York and left the kingdom to his son. Within a few years of being raised to this position, Constantine began to display heroic virtue, fearless courage and a strict commitment to justice towards his people. He brought an end to the plundering of robbers, suppressed the arrogance of tyrants and sought everywhere to restore peace.

Chapter Seven: The Romans Seek Constantine’s Assistance Against the Cruelty of Maxentius. #

¹ At that time, there was a tyrant in Rome named Maxentius, who sought to confiscate the estates of the leading nobles and oppressed the Roman state through his grievous tyranny. As he continued in his cruelty, those whom he had banished fled to Constantine in Britain, where they were honourably received. At last, when many such exiles had gathered around him, they sought to arouse his hatred of the tyrant and frequently appealed to him in this manner: “How long, Constantine, will you allow us to suffer distress and exile? Why do you delay in restoring us to our native country? You are the only man of our nation who can restore what we have lost by driving out Maxentius. What prince can compare with the King of Britain, either in brave and gallant soldiers or in great wealth? We beg you to restore us to our estates, wives and children by leading us with an army to Rome.”

Chapter Eight: Constantine, Having Subdued Rome, Obtains the Empire of the World. Octavius, Duke of the Wisseans, Is Put to Flight by Trahern. #

¹ Moved by these and similar appeals, Constantine led an expedition to Rome, brought it under his rule and afterwards obtained the empire of the whole world. On this expedition, he took with him three of Helena’s uncles—Leolin, Trahern and Marius—and raised them to the rank of senators. Meanwhile, Octavius, Duke of the Wisseans, rebelled against the Roman proconsuls who had been entrusted with the government of the island. After killing them, he took possession of the throne. When Constantine learned of this, he sent Trahern, Helena’s uncle, with three legions to bring the island back under Roman control. Trahern landed near the city called Kaerperis in the British tongue and, after attacking it, captured it within two days. When this news spread throughout the country, King Octavius assembled all the forces of the land went to meet him near Winchester, in a field called Maisuriam in the British tongue. There he engaged Trahern in battle and routed him. Following this defeat, Trahern withdrew with his remaining troops to his ships and sailed to Albania, where he caused great destruction throughout its provinces. When Octavius learned of this, he pursued him with his forces and encountered him in Westmorland, but was defeated and forced to flee. Realising that victory was his, Trahern pursued Octavius and gave him no respite until he had deprived him of both his cities and his crown. Deeply grieved by the loss of his kingdom, Octavius sailed with his fleet to Norway to seek assistance from King Gombert. In the meantime, he had ordered his closest supporters to watch carefully for any opportunity to kill Trahern. Before long, the deed was carried out by the magistrate of a certain privileged town, who was exceptionally devoted to Octavius. One day, while Trahern was travelling from London, the magistrate lay in wait with a hundred men in a wooded valley through which Trahern was due to pass. They took him by surprise and killed him among his men. When news of this reached Octavius, he returned to Britain, scattered the Romans and recovered the throne. Soon afterwards, he attained such greatness and wealth that he feared no one, and he remained in possession of the kingdom until the reign of Gratian and Valentinian.

Chapter Nine: Maximian Is Desired as King of Britain. #

¹ At last, in his old age, wishing to settle the succession, Octavius asked his council which member of his family they wished to have as king after his death. He had no son and only one daughter, to whom he could leave the crown. Some therefore advised him to marry his daughter, together with the kingdom, to a noble Roman so that they might enjoy a more secure peace. Others believed that Conan Meriadoc, his nephew, should be given preference for the throne, while the king’s daughter should be married to a prince of another kingdom with a dowry of money. While these matters were being debated, Caradoc, Duke of Cornwall, arrived and advised them to invite Maximian the senator to Britain and grant him both the lady and the kingdom, which would help to secure lasting peace. Maximian’s father, Leolin, the uncle of Constantine whom we mentioned earlier, was a Briton, although Maximian was Roman through his mother and his place of birth; through both parents, he was descended from royal blood. There was therefore every prospect of firm and secure peace under his rule, because of the claim he possessed to Britain through both his descent from the emperors and his British ancestry. By giving this advice, however, the Duke of Cornwall incurred the displeasure of Conan, the king’s nephew, who was extremely ambitious to succeed to the kingdom, and the dispute threw the entire court into confusion. Nevertheless, Caradoc, unwilling to withdraw his proposal, sent his son Mauricius to Rome to inform Maximian of what had happened. Mauricius was a tall and well-proportioned man of great courage and boldness, and he could not bear to have his judgement challenged without resorting to arms and duelling. When he presented himself before Maximian, he received a welcome appropriate to his rank and was shown greater honour than anyone else in Maximian’s company. At that time, there was a serious dispute between Maximian and the two emperors, Gratian and Valentinian, because Maximian had been refused the one-third share of the empire that he demanded. When Mauricius saw Maximian being ill-treated by the emperors, he seized the opportunity to address him in this manner: “Why should you, Maximian, fear Gratian when you have such an excellent opportunity to wrest the empire from him? Come with me to Britain, and you shall take possession of its crown. King Octavius, now old and infirm, desires nothing more than to find a suitable man upon whom he may bestow his kingdom and his daughter. He has no male heir and has therefore asked his nobles whom his daughter should marry and who should receive the kingdom with her. To his satisfaction, they have decreed that both the kingdom and the lady should be given to you, and they have sent me to inform you of their decision. Therefore, should you come with me and bring this matter to completion, you may use the wealth and forces of Britain to return to Rome, drive out the emperors and seize the empire for yourself. Your kinsman Constantius and several other kings of ours raised themselves to the imperial throne in this way.”

Chapter Ten: Maximian, Coming into Britain, Artfully Declines to Fight Conan. #

¹ Maximian was pleased with the offer and set out for Britain. On his way, however, he subdued the cities of the Franks, thereby amassing a great treasure of gold and silver and recruiting men for his service from every region. Afterwards, he set sail with a favourable wind and arrived at Hamo’s Port. News of his arrival filled the king with fear and astonishment, as he believed it to be a hostile invasion. He therefore summoned his nephew Conan and ordered him to raise all the forces of the kingdom and march against the enemy. Having made the necessary preparations, Conan marched to Hamo’s Port, where Maximian had pitched his tents. When Maximian saw such a numerous army approaching, he was deeply uncertain about what course to take. Since he had fewer men and little hope of being received peacefully, he feared both the size and the courage of the enemy’s army. In these difficult circumstances, he called a council of the eldest men, together with Mauricius, and asked their advice about what should be done at this critical moment. “We must not,” said Mauricius, “risk a battle against so numerous and powerful an army, nor did we come here intending to conquer Britain by force of arms. We must request peace and hospitable treatment until we can discover the king’s intentions. Let us say that the emperors have sent us as ambassadors to Octavius, and let us pacify the people with carefully chosen words.” When everyone had expressed their approval of this advice, Mauricius took with him twelve grey-haired elders, distinguished above the others by their rank and wisdom. Carrying olive branches in their right hands, they went to meet Conan. When the Britons saw that they were venerable old men and carried olive branches as a sign of peace, they respectfully rose before them and opened a path so that they might freely approach their commander. Presenting themselves before Conan Meriadoc, they greeted him in the name of the emperors and the Senate and told him that Gratian and Valentinian had sent Maximian as an ambassador to Octavius. Conan replied, “Why, then, is he accompanied by so great a multitude? This does not resemble the arrival of ambassadors, but an invasion by enemies.” Mauricius answered, “It would not be fitting for so great a man to travel abroad in humble circumstances or without soldiers to guard him, especially since the power of Rome and the deeds of his ancestors have made him an object of hostility to many kings. Had he come with only a small company, he might have been killed by the enemies of the commonwealth. He has come in peace, and peace is what he desires. Since our arrival, we have conducted ourselves in a manner that has given offence to no one. We have purchased what we needed at our own expense, as peaceful people do, and have taken nothing from anyone by force.” While Conan remained uncertain whether to grant them peace or begin the battle, Caradoc, Duke of Cornwall, and several other nobles came to him and, after hearing this explanation, persuaded him not to proceed with the war. Therefore, though greatly against his will, Conan laid down his arms and granted them peace. He then escorted Maximian to London, where Maximian gave the king a full account of everything that had occurred.

Chapter Eleven: The Kingdom of Britain Is Bestowed upon Maximian. #

¹ Afterwards, Caradoc took his son Mauricius with him, ordered everyone to withdraw from the king’s presence and addressed him in these words: “Look, by the good providence of God, that which your most faithful and loyal subjects have long desired has now come to pass. You commanded your nobles to advise you on how to dispose of your daughter and kingdom, since your great age has made you unwilling to continue governing. Some therefore proposed that the kingdom should be given to your nephew Conan and that a suitable husband should be found for your daughter elsewhere, fearing that our people would be ruined if a prince unfamiliar with our language were placed over us. Others proposed granting the kingdom to your daughter and to some nobleman of our own country who would succeed you after your death. The greater number, however, recommended someone descended from the family of the emperors, upon whom you might bestow your daughter and crown. They believed that such a marriage would bring firm and lasting peace, since we would then be under the protection of the Roman state. See, then! God has graciously brought before you a young man who is both a Roman and a member of the royal family of Britain. Should you follow my advice, you will not delay in giving him your daughter in marriage. Indeed, should you reject him, what right could you claim to the crown of Britain against him? He is the cousin of Constantine and the nephew of King Coel, whose daughter Helena possessed the crown by an indisputable hereditary right.” When Caradoc had laid these arguments before him, Octavius agreed and, with the general consent of his people, bestowed both the kingdom and his daughter upon Maximian. When Conan Meriadoc saw how matters had turned out, he became enraged beyond expression. Withdrawing into Albania, he used all his influence to raise an army with which to challenge Maximian. After gathering a great body of men, he crossed the Humber and laid waste to the provinces on both sides of it. When news of this reached Maximian, he quickly assembled his forces, fought Conan in battle and returned victorious. This defeat did not prove decisive, however, for Conan regrouped his troops, continued to ravage the provinces and provoked Maximian to return and renew the war. Their fortunes varied throughout the conflict, with each man sometimes victorious and sometimes defeated. At last, after both sides had suffered great losses, their friends intervened and brought about a reconciliation.

Chapter Twelve: Maximian Overthrows the Armoricans: His Speech to Conan. #

¹ Five years later, Maximian, proud of the vast treasures that flowed in upon him each day, fitted out a great fleet and assembled all the forces of Britain. This kingdom was no longer sufficient for him, for he was ambitious to add Gaul to his dominions. With this aim, he set sail and arrived first in the kingdom of Armorica, now called Bretagne, where he began hostilities against the Gallic people who inhabited it. The Gauls, under the command of Inbaltus, met him and engaged him in battle. When the greater part of their army was placed in danger, they were forced to flee, leaving Inbaltus and fifteen thousand men dead on the field, all of them Armoricans. This severe defeat brought Maximian the greatest joy, for he knew that the conquest of the country would be very easy after the loss of so many men. On this occasion, he called Conan aside from the army and said to him with a smile: “See, we have already conquered one of the finest kingdoms in Gaul, and we may now hope to gain all the rest. Let us hasten to capture its cities and towns before news of their danger spreads to the more distant parts of Gaul and rouses all the people to arms. For if we can gain possession of this kingdom, I have no doubt that we shall bring all Gaul under our power. Do not therefore be troubled that you surrendered the island of Britain to me, despite the hopes you once had of succeeding to it, because whatever you have lost there I shall restore to you in this country. I intend to raise you to the throne of this kingdom, and it shall become another Britain, which we shall populate with our own countrymen after driving out its former inhabitants. The land is fertile in corn, the rivers abound with fish, the woods present a beautiful prospect and the forests are pleasant everywhere. In my opinion, there is no more delightful country anywhere.” Conan bowed submissively, thanked him and promised to remain loyal to him for as long as he lived.

Chapter Thirteen: Redonum Is Taken by Maximian. #

¹ Afterwards, they marched with their forces to Redonum and captured it that same day. The citizens, having heard of the bravery of the Britons and the slaughter they had inflicted, fled in haste, leaving their wives and children behind. The remaining cities and towns soon followed their example, allowing the Britons to enter them easily. Wherever they entered, they killed every male they found and spared only the women. At last, after completely exterminating the inhabitants of all those provinces, they garrisoned the cities and towns with British soldiers and constructed fortifications in several places. As the fame of Maximian’s exploits spread throughout the other provinces of Gaul, all their dukes and princes were filled with dreadful fear and had no hope left except in their prayers to their gods. Realising that he had struck terror into them, Maximian began to consider still bolder undertakings and increased the size of his army by distributing gifts lavishly. He enlisted everyone he knew to be eager for plunder and secured their loyalty by generously giving them money and other valuables.

Chapter Fourteen: Maximian, After Conquering Gaul and Germany, Makes Triers the Seat of His Empire. #

¹ By these means, Maximian raised an army so numerous that he considered it sufficient for the conquest of all Gaul. Nevertheless, he suspended his military campaign for a time until he had established the kingdom he had conquered and populated it with Britons. To this end, he issued a decree ordering the assembly of one hundred thousand ordinary people from Britain, who were to cross over and settle in the country, together with thirty thousand soldiers to defend them from hostile attack. As soon as the people arrived in accordance with his orders, he distributed them throughout all the territories of Armorica, transformed it into another Britain and bestowed it upon Conan Meriadoc. Maximian himself, accompanied by the rest of his fellow soldiers, marched into the further part of Gaul. After many bloody battles, he subdued it, as he also subdued all Germany, proving victorious everywhere. He made Triers the seat of his empire and attacked the two emperors, Gratian and Valentinian, with such fury that he killed one and forced the other to flee from Rome.

Chapter Fifteen: A Battle Between the Aquitanians and Conan. #

¹ Meanwhile, the Gauls and Aquitanians caused trouble for Conan and the Armorican Britons and harassed them with frequent incursions. Conan defeated them just as often and bravely defended the country entrusted to him. After he had completely vanquished them, he wished to provide his fellow soldiers with wives by whom they might have children and retain permanent possession of the country. To avoid intermarriage with the Gauls, he sent to the island of Britain to obtain wives for them. To accomplish this, messengers were sent to entrust the matter to Dianotus, King of Cornwall, who had succeeded his brother Caradoc in that kingdom. He was a noble and powerful prince, and Maximian had entrusted the government to him while he was occupied with affairs abroad. Dianotus also had a daughter of extraordinary beauty named Ursula, with whom Conan was passionately in love.

Chapter Sixteen: Guanius and Melga Murder Eleven Thousand Virgins. Maximian Is Killed at Rome. #

¹ On receiving this message from Conan, Dianotus readily agreed to carry out his request. He summoned the daughters of the nobility from every province, numbering eleven thousand, together with sixty thousand women of the lower classes, and ordered them all to assemble in the city of London. He also commanded ships to be brought from every shore to transport them to their future husbands. Although many among so great a multitude were pleased with this arrangement, most were displeased, having greater affection for their families and native country. Nor, perhaps, were there lacking some who preferred virginity to marriage and would rather have lost their lives in any country than enjoyed the greatest prosperity in wedlock. In brief, most of them had differing wishes and intentions, had they been left to their own freedom. Once the ships were ready, however, they went aboard and, sailing down the Thames, made for the sea. At last, as they were steering towards the Armorican coast, contrary winds arose and scattered the entire fleet. Most of the ships foundered in the storm, while the women who escaped the dangers of the sea were driven onto strange islands, where barbarous peoples either murdered or enslaved them. They had fallen into the hands of the cruel army of Guanius and Melga, who, at Gratian’s command, were inflicting terrible destruction upon Germany and the nations along the coast. Guanius was King of the Huns and Melga King of the Picts. Gratian had enlisted them into his cause and sent them into Germany to harass Maximian’s supporters along the coasts. While they were exercising their barbarous fury, they came upon the virgins who had been driven into those regions. So inflamed were they by the women’s beauty that they pressed them to submit to their brutish embraces. When the women refused, the Ambrons attacked them and, without remorse, murdered most of them. After this, the two wicked leaders of the Picts and Huns, Guanius and Melga, who supported Gratian and Valentinian, learned that the island of Britain had been drained of all its soldiers. They therefore sailed there without delay and, having enlisted the aid of the peoples of the neighbouring islands, arrived in Albania. Joining together as one body, they invaded the kingdom, which had been left without either government or defence, and inflicted dreadful destruction upon the common people. As already related, Maximian had taken with him every warlike young man he could find, leaving behind only the husbandmen, who had neither the knowledge nor the weapons needed to defend their country. Finding that the inhabitants could offer scarcely any resistance, Guanius and Melga began to rule over them with the greatest insolence and to lay waste their cities and lands as though they were merely sheepfolds. When news of this grievous calamity reached Maximian, he sent Gratian Municeps with two legions to assist them. As soon as they arrived, they fought the enemy and, after gaining an exceedingly bloody victory, forced them to flee to Ireland. Meanwhile, Maximian was killed at Rome by Gratian’s supporters, and the Britons whom he had taken with him were likewise either killed or scattered. Those who managed to escape went to their countrymen in Armorica, which was now called the other Britain.