{"id":1068422,"date":"2026-07-04T17:43:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T17:43:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1068422\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T17:43:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T17:43:32","slug":"how-medieval-britons-remembered-the-fall-of-roman-britain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/1068422\/","title":{"rendered":"How Medieval Britons Remembered the Fall of Roman Britain"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"text-left text-[14px] text-grey100 dark:text-dark-grey100 font-[500] leading-[20px]\">Published: Jul 4, 2026written by <a class=\"no-underline text-grey100 dark:text-dark-grey100\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/author\/caleb-howells\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Caleb Howells<\/a>, BA Doctrines and Methodology of Education<\/p>\n<p>Summary<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The 6th-century monk\u00a0<strong>Gildas provides the key medieval account<\/strong>\u00a0of Roman Britain\u2019s fall, forming the basis for later histories.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Magnus Maximus\u2019s rebellion<\/strong>\u00a0in AD 383 weakened Britain by withdrawing troops, marking the beginning of the end for Roman rule.<\/li>\n<li>Gildas\u2019s story of Roman aid against\u00a0<strong>Picts and Scots<\/strong>\u00a0is surprisingly confirmed by the contemporary Roman poet Claudian.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>official end of Roman Britain<\/strong>\u00a0came in AD 410 when Emperor Honorius told the Britons to defend themselves.<\/li>\n<li>After Rome\u2019s final departure, the\u00a0<strong>Britons successfully defeated their enemies<\/strong>\u00a0on their own for the very first time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Show more<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Romans ruled Britain from AD 43 to AD 410. After three and a half centuries of domination, the fall of Roman Britain must have been a memorable moment for the island\u2019s inhabitants. But when the Britons of the medieval period looked back on these events, how did they remember them? One of the most detailed medieval accounts comes from Gildas, writing in the 6th century. What did he have to say about the fall of Roman Britain, and how well does it align with earlier sources?<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Medieval British Sources for the Roman Withdrawal<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:auto;max-height:800px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/gildas-ruin-britain-folio.jpg\" alt=\"gildas ruin britain folio\" class=\"block mx-auto\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>Folio of Gildas\u2019 De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, c. 10th century. Source: British Library, London<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The most historically important account from medieval Britain about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/when-did-roman-britain-end\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">fall of Roman Britain<\/a> comes from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/who-was-gildas\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Gildas<\/a>. He was a British monk who wrote De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae in the 6th century. The title is often known in English as On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain, making the subject matter clear. However, Gildas provides almost no explicit dates in his account, nor does he mention many people by name, making it a complicated source to navigate. Later sources, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/venerable-bede-father-english-history\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Bede<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/what-is-story-anglo-saxon-chronicle\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Anglo-Saxon Chronicle<\/a>, drew on Gildas.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The last figure explicitly identified by Gildas, who also appears in contemporary non-British documents, is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/magnus-maximus-welsh-legend\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Magnus Maximus<\/a>. He was a Roman official from Roman Britain, quite possibly its governor, who was proclaimed emperor by his troops in AD 383. He went forth to conquer the Western Roman Empire, and despite initial success, he was eventually killed by Theodosius I in 388. Therefore, Gildas\u2019 account can only be confirmed by non-British sources until the 380s.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In his description of Magnus Maximus, Gildas claims that he withdrew all the Roman forces from Britain. In effect, this is the end of Roman Britain in any permanent sense. However, Gildas also makes it clear that the Roman military was still active in Britain for some time thereafter.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Did Magnus Maximus Withdraw Rome\u2019s Troops?<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:auto;height:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/magnus-maximus-roman-coin.jpg\" alt=\"magnus maximus roman coin\" class=\"block mx-auto\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>Solidus of Magnus Maximus, 383\/4. Source: Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In reality, Magnus Maximus did not withdraw all of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/roman-legion-military-ranks\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Roman legions<\/a>. He did, however, withdraw enough troops to engage in a successful war against Gratian, the emperor of the Western Roman Empire. He also substantially reorganized the structure of Roman Britain, withdrawing troops from various locations and stationing them elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, no Roman coins from after Maximus\u2019 reign have been found at the Roman fort of Malton, Yorkshire. Many forts around inland Wales were also apparently abandoned. Meanwhile, other parts of Britain were strengthened, such as the coastal regions of Wales. Maximus led yet another large army from Britain to Gaul in 387 in a renewed war with his rival emperors.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This suggests that Gildas\u2019 account of the official end of Roman Britain is greatly exaggerated, while still ultimately being rooted in fact. Magnus Maximus removed large numbers of troops from Britain and left much of it undefended. However, contrary to Gildas\u2019 assertion, this was not the end of Roman Britain in any meaningful sense. At a stretch, we might consider this to be the beginning of the end.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Gildas on Defending the Borders of Roman Britain<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:auto;height:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hadrian_s-wall-faith-ashford.jpg\" alt=\"hadrian_s wall faith ashford\" class=\"block mx-auto\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>Hadrian\u2019s Wall, by Faith Ashford, 1943. Source: University of Reading Art Collection<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After describing Maximus\u2019 rebellion, Gildas states the following:<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAfter 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 nations \u2013 the Scots from the north-west and the Picts from the north.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(Gildas, De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae 14)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Gildas goes on to describe how the Britons appealed to the Romans for help against these attacks from the Picts and the Scots. The Romans responded favorably to their appeal for help and drove the invaders back. They managed to re-establish control over Britain as far north as modern-day Scotland. Gildas then refers to them as building a turf wall from sea to sea to act as a frontier to protect the Romano-Britons. This is evidently an erroneous reference to the Antonine Wall, which extends from the Clyde to the Forth, built much earlier between AD 142 and 154.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>According to Gildas, soon after the Romans left, the Picts and the Scots recommenced their attacks. The Britons once again appealed to the Romans for help. The Romans returned and defeated the invaders once more. This time, they constructed a stone wall from sea to sea in the north, evidently an erroneous reference to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/why-was-hadrians-wall-built\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hadrian\u2019s Wal<\/a>l, which was built around AD 122. After completing this defensive structure, the Romans informed the Britons that they could no longer defend them. From then on, they would be on their own. The Romans then left and, according to Gildas, never to return.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Can Gildas\u2019 Account be Confirmed?<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:auto;height:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/gold-coin-theodosius-1.jpg\" alt=\"gold coin theodosius\" class=\"block mx-auto\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>Gold coin of Theodosius I, son of Theodosius the Elder, AD 379-395. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Can any of Gildas\u2019 claims be confirmed by archaeology or earlier historical sources? Interestingly, we find confirmation for the basic outline of this narrative in the poems of Claudian, a Roman court poet who died at the beginning of the 5th century AD. He also mentions two wars that the Roman army fought in Britain against the Picts and Scots.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In some of his poems, he referred to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/theodosius-i-the-great-saint-or-sinner\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Theodosius I<\/a> as engaging in a campaign in Caledonia, which roughly corresponds to Scotland. While not giving any details about what exactly transpired during this campaign, Claudian specifically mentions Theodosius fighting against the Picts and the Scots, which aligns with Gildas. This campaign must have occurred after 388 and likely before 392, also corresponding with Gildas\u2019 timeline.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Later, Claudian referred to a war in the north of Britain which occurred between late 398 and early 400. This campaign was led by the general Stilicho under the emperor <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/emperor-honorius-letter\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Honorius<\/a>. Again, Claudian makes specific mentions of the Picts and the Scots and also implies that the campaign took place in Caledonia.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>These two campaigns mentioned by Claudian are almost certain to be the two wars mentioned by Gildas. Interestingly, Claudian also refers to the departure of the Roman troops after the second of these wars. In his poem The Gothic War, he refers to troops leaving Britain to face <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/why-did-the-visigoths-sack-rome\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alaric, the king of the Visigoths<\/a>, on the continent. These troops are specifically described as those who had fought against the Picts and the Scots.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While Gildas misdates the construction of Hadrian\u2019s Wall and the Antonine Wall, this does not necessarily invalidate the rest of his account. Moreover, Claudian mentions that Stilicho gave the Britons forts during this campaign, which could explain Gildas\u2019 confusion.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Final Fall of Roman Britain<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:auto;max-height:800px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/st-gildas-illustration.jpg\" alt=\"st gildas illustration\" class=\"block mx-auto\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>Illustration of Gildas, William Marshall, 17th century. Source: British Museum<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Gildas specifically says that these Romans never again returned, which is often viewed as the final end of Roman Britain. However, we know from earlier accounts that this is not correct.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>According to Zosimus, writing at the start of the 6th century, in the early 5th century, chaos on the continent saw Britain cut off from Rome. With no word from Rome, the troops in Britain elected their own emperors, Marcus, Gratian, and then Constantine III. In AD 407, Constantine led the last remaining Roman troops in Britain over to the mainland to try to take the Western Roman Empire. This left Britain vulnerable to attack from the Picts, Scots, and Saxons, who began to attack in AD 408 according to the near-contemporary Gallic Chronicle of 452.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When no help came, the locals expelled the remaining Roman officials and took up arms themselves. Nevertheless, they sent a request to the emperor Honorius for help. But with the Visigoths at the gates of Rome, in AD 410, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thecollector.com\/emperor-honorius-letter\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Honorius told them<\/a> to \u201clook to their own defences.\u201d This was the official end of Roman Britain.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:auto;max-height:800px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/gallic-chronicle-452.jpg\" alt=\"gallic chronicle 452\" class=\"block mx-auto\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>Gallic Chronicle of 452, edited by Theodor Mommsen, 1892. Source: Internet Archive<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Gildas\u2019 account does not include the continued Roman presence in Britain that saw the election of local emperors. However, he does explain that the Picts and Scots resumed their attacks following the second northern war. He also says that the Britons appealed to Rome for help once more, but did not receive a favorable response.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This seems to be a reference to Honorius\u2019 response, though Gildas erroneously says that the appeal was sent to \u201cAgitus, thrice consul.\u201d This is usually understood to be Flavius Aetius. However, he did not become consul for the third time until the 440s. This is thoroughly incompatible with the rest of Gildas\u2019 account. Either Gildas got his information confused about who the Britons appealed to in 408 or 409, or he was referring to a real but entirely different and much earlier Roman named Agitus.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Gildas then tells us that something remarkable happened:<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cAnd then it was, for the first time, that they overthrew their enemies, who had for so many years been living in their country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(Gildas, De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae 17)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, according to Gildas, finally, without needing to rely on help from the Romans, the Britons were able to defeat the Picts and the Scots themselves. Zosimus supports this claim. After this, Britain began to thrive economically. It was also at this time that the Britons began to appoint kings.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The End of Roman Britain According to Gildas<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:auto;height:auto\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/illustration-birdoswald-roman-fort-hadrians-wall.jpg\" alt=\"illustration birdoswald roman fort hadrians wall\" class=\"block mx-auto\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>Illustration of Birdoswald Roman Fort on Hadrian\u2019s Wall after the Roman administration collapsed, Philip Corke. Source: English Heritage<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, we can see that Gildas\u2019 medieval, somewhat legendary account of the fall of Roman Britain is remarkably accurate. Almost all the basic elements of the narrative can be confirmed by contemporary records. Magnus Maximus really did withdraw a sizeable number of troops, leaving parts of Britain poorly defended, although Gildas exaggerates the magnitude of this. After this, the Romans really did engage in two successive wars in the north to fight the Picts and the Scots.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While the Antonine Wall and Hadrian\u2019s Wall were not constructed at this time, Claudian does claim that Stilicho established forts for the Britons\u2019 protection. This may have been what led to Gildas\u2019 distorted account about construction works in the north at that time.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Afterwards, the Britons were attacked by the Picts and Scots yet again. Both Zosimus and the Gallic Chronicle of 452 attest to this. Due to not receiving a favorable response from the Romans this time, Gildas tells us that the Britons were finally able to defend themselves. Therefore, while it does have its inaccuracies, overall, Gildas presents a good account of the fall of Roman Britain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Published: Jul 4, 2026written by Caleb Howells, BA Doctrines and Methodology of Education Summary The 6th-century monk\u00a0Gildas provides&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1068423,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5018,3,4],"tags":[14516,14514,14510,14525,14512,14521,748,8271,393,14518,4884,14511,14528,14527,14517,14515,14529,14523,14524,1144,14520,14513,14522,712,14526,16,15,1764,14519,14530,14531],"class_list":["post-1068422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-britain","category-uk","category-united-kingdom","tag-american-history","tag-ancient-history","tag-ancient-history-blog","tag-ancient-philosophy","tag-art-blog","tag-artists-blog","tag-britain","tag-contemporary-art","tag-england","tag-european-history","tag-great-britain","tag-history-blog","tag-history-of-politics","tag-history-of-religion","tag-latin-and-south-american-history","tag-medieval-history","tag-military-history","tag-modern-art","tag-modern-philosophy","tag-northern-ireland","tag-philosophy","tag-philosophy-blog","tag-renaissance-history","tag-scotland","tag-travel-and-culture","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-wales","tag-world-history","tag-wwi","tag-wwii"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1068422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1068422"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1068422\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1068423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1068422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1068422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1068422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}