Detailed Timeline

This timetable spans events from Roman Britain to early Anglo-Saxon Britain, thus all events are AD.
360 Picts and Scots cross Hadrian's Wall and attack Roman Britain; brief British pagan revival in country-side as reaction to Emperor Julian's rejection of Christianity

367 Northern Confederation launches series of attacks on lines of Roman fortifications until 383--Hadrian's Wall over-run, Count of Saxon Shore and Duke of Britain crushed

369 Roman Emperor Valentinian sends Theodosius to restore order in Britain

370 Theodosius drives Picts and Scots out of Britain, restores walls and forts, establishes signal stations along the Yorkshire coast, giving peace to towns and villas for at least a quarter of a century

382 Magnus Maximus repels the Caledonians at Hadrian's Wall

383 Magnus crosses the channel to become emperor of Rome, taking many of the British troops; weakened northern Britain is threatened by Picts and Scots although Hadrian's Wall holds; Conan is king in Brittany

388 Magnus is executed, along with son Victor

390 c. Saint Patrick is born on west coast of Britain

396 Northern Confederation launches offenses across the firths; General Stilicho sent to campaign against the Caledonians

397 c. founding of Western monasticism; St. Ninian builds Candida Casa. Rome completes withdrawal from Hadrian's Wall

401 troops withdrawn from reaches of the Empire to defend Italy against Visigoth Alaric

405 Niall of the Nine Hostages (Irish king) dies

407 Constantine III crosses to the continent with all the troops he can muster; Burgundians penetrate far into Gaul and Spain, cutting off communication between Britain and Rome; Saint Patrick escapes slavery in Ireland

410 Alaric invades and sacks Rome; Honorius sends message to Britain that it is on its own

411 Constantine III is slain

417 temporary Roman reoccupation of Britain (theory-- improbable)

418 Pelagianism is ruled heresy by the church

423 end of the emperor Honorius' reign

425 beginning of Saint Patrick's ministry in Ireland and Saint Illtud's ministry in Wales

426 emergence of local leaders in Britain, such as Vortigern

428 Saxon warships off east coast of Britain

429 Picts and Scots expelled from Southern England by Saxon mercenaries; Saints Germanus and Lupus are sent to Britain to conquer Pelagianism

432 Roman currency no longer in circulation; Saint Niniane dies

440 town of Ys in Brittany submerges

441 c. beginning of Saxon incursion

442 Hengist's massacre

446 last British request for military aid, sent to Aetius

449 Germanus and Lupus sent again to conquer Pelagianism?

450 Anglo-Saxon warships attack Britain's east coast

451 Attilla and the Huns invade Western Europe

456 Britons suffer a defeat by the Saxons at Crayford, Kent, and flee to London

460 presumed start of Aurelius Ambrosius' reign

461 Saint Patrick dies

462 Saint David born, patron saint of Wales (462-547)

480 reign of King Cerdic of Wessex begins (c. 480-495)

482 Battle of Ocha in Ireland

491 Saxons capture Pevensey, Sussex

495 Kingdom of Wessex founded; King Cerdic dies; reign of Illan, Irish king who conducted raids on Britain (c. 495-511)

500 Gildas born at Dumbarton

504 elevation and ordination of St. Dubricius

510 death of Domingart, first Irish king of Dalriada

515 lull in the account of the Saxon conquest

518 account in the Annales Cambrai states for this year: "the Battle of Badon, in which Arthur and the Britons were the victors"

520 reign of Gwynedd's Maelgwyn (fl. 520-551)

525 c. Beowulf's victory over the dragon

531 comet reported

539 Annales Cambrai state for this year: "the strife of Camlann in which Arthur and Mordred perished"

540 Gildas writes his book recounting the twelve great battles later attributed to Arthur; Ida is king of Bernicia

545 end of the reign of King Hoel of Armorica

547 Saint David dies

550 Anglo-Saxons push to settle east of Southhampton-Edinburgh line

551 Maelgwyn of Gwynedd dies

552 Cynric takes Salisbury and establishes Wessex

559 King Owain kills Ida of Bernicia

565 ministry of Saint Columba on Iona

572 c. Gildas dies

573 King Rydderch's ascension; ministry of Saint Kentigern

574 battle of Arthuret (Arthurydd, "Arthur's Head"); inauguration of King Aidan of Dalriada by Saint Columba

584 meeting of Saints Columba and Kentigern

600 first reference to Arthur by name in the "Goddodin" (poem)



 

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This page last updated on April 11, 2006