1 h 29 minAudiobook7 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
A king’s walls fall each night, a boy sees dragons, and Britain’s past takes shape between history and legend.
History of the Britons is a short Latin chronicle from early medieval Wales, traditionally credited to Nennius. It tells of the Britons, the Welsh-speaking people who once held the whole island. Trojan founders, Roman emperors and saints share its pages. Its accounts of Britain’s beginnings sit between history and legend, and historians treat much of it with care.
At its heart stands Vortigern, a ruler the chronicle portrays as weak and guilty. He invites the Saxons into Britain and struggles to build a fortress whose walls keep falling. Elsewhere, Arthur appears as a war leader, not a king. Lists of English kings and a catalogue of Britain’s wonders widen this restless account of origins, conflict and memory.
What you’ll discover
- A past worth preserving Discover the story of the Britons, whose memory lies at the heart of this chronicle.
- Britain’s legendary beginnings Follow accounts of settlement, including Brutus, a descendant of the Trojan hero Aeneas.
- Walls that will not stand Enter Vortigern’s troubled world, where a failing fortress leads to a boy and two dragons.
- Arthur before the crown Encounter Arthur’s earliest surviving description as a war leader, rather than a king.
- Kings and curious wonders Explore royal lines, northern wars and Britain’s wonders, while keeping history and legend in view.
Who will love it
For readers curious about King Arthur's earliest appearance, Welsh and English origins, or how medieval people wrote history.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A heap gathered from many sources
- Britain begins with Trojan exiles
- Vortigern invites the Saxons in
- A fatherless boy and two dragons
- Arthur, leader of battles
- English kings, wonders and a lasting legacy
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Histoire des Bretons (Historia Brittonum) in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Histoire des Bretons (Historia Brittonum)
by Nennius · 829
Trojan founders, battling dragons and Arthur's twelve battles reveal how the Britons hold on to their past.
Medium levelUnder 2 hours to read25 languages
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In short
The History of the Britons is a short Latin chronicle. It is traditionally credited to a churchman named Nennius, and its prologue gives a writing date of 858.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A heap gathered from many sources
The book opens with a prologue in which the author explains himself. He says he has made a heap of everything he could find. He does not claim to be an original historian. He is a collector, and he is proud of it.
He says he drew on the annals of the Romans, on the writings of holy men, on the records of the Irish and the English, and on the old traditions of his own people. Where his sources disagree, he often sets them side by side and lets both stand.
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Questions about Histoire des Bretons (Historia Brittonum)
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What is the History of the Britons about?
It covers the Trojan origins of the Britons, Roman rule, Vortigern and the Saxons, the saints, Arthur's battles, English royal lines and the wonders of Britain.
Is the History of the Britons a true story?
Partly. It contains real names and events, but its prologue dates it to 858, centuries after the fifth century, and it blends in legend. Historians use it with caution and check it against other sources.
Who was Nennius?
Nennius is the Welsh churchman traditionally named as the compiler. Some manuscripts carry a prologue in his name. Scholars know little about his life and debate whether he wrote all of the text as we have it.
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