Britain
502
Created by
In 410 A.D.,
Roman Britain was under attack from
Irish raiders from
the west,
Pictish barbarians from
the north, and worst of all,
Saxon warriors from
the east. The council of nobles, the
Supreme Collegium, sent a letter to their emperor to ask for help. However, Emperor Honorius had no armies to spare, and instead he sent only a letter: “Look to your own defenses.” From that moment forward, no Briton considered his land to be a part of the Roman Empire.
The Supreme Collegium chose a man named
Constantin to rule the island. He reigned well in difficult times, and in 440 his eldest son
Constans succeeded him. Constans was still young and was counseled by his uncle
Vortigern. Shortly after Constans' suspicious murder, Vortigern had Constans' younger brothers
Aurelius Ambrosius and
Uther exiled to
Brittany. Vortigern assumed the throne himself. He was tyrannical and not well loved.
Around this time, a massive Pictish and Irish invasion threatened the entire island, so Vortigern allied himself with the much-hated Saxons and married the daughter of the Saxon King
Hengest. Vortigern also settled Picts along the coasts to defend against the Irish. Soon, many eastern lords of Britain rebelled against their new king, but they were crushed and their lands given to his Saxon allies. Vortigern’s
own son led another rebellion, and, though temporarily successful, he was killed in battle.
During the infamous "
Night of the Long Knives", the Saxons betrayed Vortigern, slaying nearly all the British leadership. Vortigern himself became a mere subject of his former Saxon allies. The island had lost all hope - until 466, when Constantin's son Aurelius Ambrosius returned with an army from Brittany.
The people of Britain immediately rallied behind the banner of Aurelius Ambrosius. Vortigern fled and took refuge in northwestern
Cambria - a magical land where the young sage
Merlin prophesied the fate of Britain. With help from his brother Uther, Aurelius Ambrosius overcame the Saxons and then Vortigern himself, was named
High King of Britain, and was given the name "Pendragon" - "Warrior Chief".