Post-Roman Britain

Armorica, the western arm of northern Gaul, was the ancient domain of the Veneti. Although there were two smaller Celtic tribes living in there area, the Veneti were the most powerful, and are now considered to have been Slav-descended.

The area had been mostly Celtic for over 1200 years. It was as much an established part of Gaul as the Romans were of Italy. During the second century BC, Gaul was considered a centre of Celtic culture in Europe.

Conquest by Rome

At this time over 60 major tribes inhibited this western section of present day France. Rich accounts of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars (circa 52 BC) and the Roman conquest of Gaul are found in various writings giving a lively picture of the Celtic warriors.

Wisely, the Roman conquerors and governors allowed the Celts to blend their mythology with that of the Romans, and, in some instances, embraced some of the Celtic gods and goddesses themselves, such as Epona, the Mare Goddess.

By AD 400, the newly arriving Franks regarded themselves as the natural heirs of the Romans in Gaul and sought to retain their hold on this, the richest part of Gaul, but during the middle years of the fifth century, at a time when the former Saxon foederati were in revolt, a migration of Britain's upper classes secured Armorica for Britain's Second Kingdom, as it was also known.

In time, this was accepted by the Franks as Brittany. By AD 450, most of the land north of the Loire was under British control, submerging the older Gallic Celt and Veneti tribes.

Britons abroad in Gaul

Armorica was being settled by Britons long before the end of the Roman Empire, however.

Traditionally, the colony in Brittany was established before (High King) Constantine's expedition into Gaul in 407-411. Magnus Maximus secured Armorica during his own earlier expedition, and as a reward for his support gave it to his wife's cousin, Conan Meriadog, King of Dumnonia.

Conan ruled much of what forms modern Brittany as the Kingdom of Vannetais, maintaining the local Celtic tribal name with a probably capital in Vannes, but in the usual Celtic practise of dividing territory between sons, a patchwork of as many as half a dozen smaller sub-kingdoms, or principalities, were created during the course of the fifth and sixth centuries.

In these early days, and at least before Dumnonia in southwest Britain crumbed from the seventh century onwards, the British of Armorica had very close ties with the home country, and probably recognised the authority of the High King.

Respectful of this, the likely (and slightly lesser) title for the overall ruler of British Armorica, as used by writers such as Gregory of Tours, should be King of the Bretons.

Many kings are mentioned for Bro Erech, Cornouaille, Domnonia, Leon and Poher, in the later Lives of the Saints and Medieval Abbey Charters, on most occasions where the Bretons had dealings outside their borders only one King of the Bretons is mentioned. It seems highly likely that the sub-kingdoms continued to be ruled over by the 'High' king, or King of the Bretons, probably in much the same way as the High Kings of Britain governed.

Historically, the first Breton chief to be cited on the continent is Ivomadus who established himself in Blois in 410 (Chronicles of Anjou).

His activities take place outside of Conan's Vannetais, in an enlarged British occupied territory in Gaul. He and his men were likely to be the remains of Constantine III's army which crossed the Channel with him after proclaiming him emperor in 406.

Although the records seem to name him as a king of Brittany, he may only have been acting in the king's name, or perhaps operating in Blois as a sub-king.

As the Britons are said to have controlled most of the territory north of the Loire by 450, Blois must have been part of an extended Armorican (Briton) kingdom until it fell to Clovis in 491. From that date, Brittany reverts to its traditional borders.

Meagre records

After Constantine departed, Jordanes explains that a monarch named Riothamus fought as an ally of Emperor Anthemius against the Visigothic King Euric in 469. After this, the only other historically confirmed fact from the fifth century is that the town of Blois was captured by the Frankish King Clovis in 491, probably the eastern limits of Brittany's occupied territory within Gaul (Chronicles of Anjou).

After circa 600, the kings of Domnonia appear to have gained precedence over the others, always likely as this was Armorica's strongest kingdom.

From Iudicael onwards, the kings of Domnonia were also the Kings of the Bretons for as long as it was independent. Despite the claims of the Frankish Duke Wido on his Expedition through Brittany around the year 800, Brittany was still not a Frankish subject, remaining unconquered by the Carolingians.

Ninth century Breton history confirms this in the many attacks made by Charlemagne and his successors on the state. It wasn't until circa 900 that Brittany lost some of its status, accepting French overlordship (although not direct French rule) and reducing the kingdom to a dukedom.

It still retained its independence until 1532, when the last Duchess of Brittany, Anne, married King Charles VIII of France, and the Union Treaty of Vannes, one of Brittany's oldest centres, was signed.

Text copyright © P L Kessler. An original feature for the History Files.