History of the Britons | Page 7

four
hundred and forty-seven years, by consuls, tribunes of the people, and
dictators. * North-western part of Antrim in Ulster.
The Britons came to Britain in the third age of the world; and in the
fourth, the Scots took possession of Ireland.

The Britons who, suspecting no hostilities, were unprovided with the
means of defence, were unanimously and incessantly attacked, both by
the Scots from the west, and by the Picts from the north. A long
interval after this, the Romans obtained the empire of the world.
16. From the first arrival of the Saxons into Britain, to the fourth year
of king Mermenus, are computed four hundred and twenty eight years;
from the nativity of our Lord to the coming of St. Patrick among the
Scots, four hundred and five years; from the death of St. Patrick to that
of St. Bridget, forty years; and from the birth of Columeille[1] to the
death of St Bridget four years.[2] [1] V.R. Columba. [2] Some MSS.
add, the beginning of the calculation is 23 cycles of 19 years from the
incarnation of our Lord to the arrival of St. Patrick in Ireland, and they
make 438 years. And from the arrival of St. Patrick to the cycle of 19
years in which we live are 22 cycles, which make 421 years.
17. I have learned another account of this Brutus from the ancient
books of our ancestors.* After the deluge, the three sons of Noah
severally occupied three different parts of the earth: Shem extended his
borders into Asia, Ham into Africa, and Japheth in Europe. * This
proves the tradition of Brutus to be older than Geoffrey or Tyssilio,
unless these notices of Brutus have been interpolated in the original
work of Nennius.
The first man that dwelt in Europe was Alanus, with his three sons,
Hisicion, Armenon, and Neugio. Hisicion had four sons, Francus,
Romanus, Alamanus, and Brutus. Armenon had five sons, Gothus,
Valagothus, Cibidus, Burgundus, and Longobardus. Neugio had three
sons, Vandalus, Saxo, and Boganus. From Hisicion arose four
nations--the Franks, the Latins, the Germans, and Britons: from
Armenon, the Gothi, Balagothi, Cibidi, Burgundi, and Longobardi:
from Neugio, the Bogari, Vandali, Saxones, and Tarinegi. The whole of
Europe was subdivided into these tribes.
Alanus is said to have been the son of Fethuir;* Fethuir, the son of
Ogomuin, who was the son of Thoi; Thoi was the son of Boibus,
Boibus of Semion, Semion of Mair, Mair of Ecthactus, Ecthactus of
Aurthack, Aurthack of Ethec, Ethec of Ooth, Ooth of Aber, Aber of Ra,

Ra of Esraa, Esraa of Hisrau, Hisrau of Bath, Bath of Jobath, Jobath of
Joham, Joham of Japheth, Japheth of Noah, Noah of Lamech, Lamech
of Mathusalem, Mathusalem of Enoch, Enoch of Jared, Jared of
Malalehel, Malalehel of Cainan, Cainan of Enos, Enos of Seth, Seth of
Adam, and Adam was formed by the living God. We have obtained this
information respecting the original inhabitants of Britain from ancient
tradition. * This genealogy is different in almost all the MSS.
18. The Britons were thus called from Brutus: Brutus was the son of
Hisicion, Hisicion was the son of Alanus, Alanus was the son of Rhea
Silvia, Fhea Silvia was the daughter of Numa Pompilius, Numa was the
son of Ascanius, Ascanius of Eneas, Eneas of Anchises, Anchises of
Troius, Troius of Dardanus, Dardanus of Flisa, Flisa of Juuin, Juuin of
Japheth; but Japheth had seven sons; from the first named Gomer,
descended the Galli; from the second, Magog, the Scythi and Gothi;
from the third, Madian, the Medi; from the fourth, Juuan, the Greeks;
from the fifth, Tubal, arose the Hebrei, Hispani, and Itali; from the
sixth, Mosoch, sprung the Cappadoces; and from the seventh, named
Tiras, descended the Thraces: these are the sons of Japheth, the son of
Noah, the son of Lamech.
19.* The Romans, having obtained the dominion of the world, sent
legates or deputies to the Britons to demand of them hostages and
tribute, which they received from all other countries and islands; but
they, fierce, disdainful, and haughty, treated the legation with contempt.
* Some MSS. add, I will now return to the point from which I made
this digression.
Then Julius Caesar, the first who had acquired absolute power at Rome,
highly incensed against the Britons, sailed with sixty vessels to the
mouth of the Thames, where they suffered shipwreck whilst he fought
against Dolobellus, (the proconsul of the British king, who was called
Belinus, and who was the son of Minocannus who governed all the
islands of the Tyrrhene Sea), and thus Julius Caesar returned home
without victory, having had his soldiers Slain, and his ships shattered.
20. But after three years he again appeared with a large army, and three
hundred ships, at the mouth of the