500's CE - Rome Withdraws From Gaul

by Iain MacAnTsaoir

When Rome withdrew, many of the Gallo-Roman provinces declared their sovereingty and formed their own governments. According to the Greek chronicler Zosimus, the area called Amorica was one of these provinces.

While there may have been Brythonic tribes in Amorica, the fifth and sixth centuries saw several immigrations of these refugees to Amorica. This area was targeted first by British mercenaries and princelings who were taking advantage of the chaos that was rampant in the area. This chaos was a result of the withdrawal of Rome from the face of barbarian invasions. These immigrations were therefore not a matter of simply walking into deserted areas. To the contrary, the area was taken by force of arms, against Gallo-Romans in their own countries as well as Frankish invaders. Niether was the whole of what is now Brittany taken in one fell swoop. The first immigrations took the northern and then the western area of the Amorican penninsula. Later immigrations pushed into the southern parts. These immigrants are the people who introduced a dialect of Brythonic akin to Cornish into the area. As they took over the area from the Gallo-Romans they replaced the system of governance with a number of petty lordships. This area increased as the Bretons went against the Franks. Today, the area is called Brittany and the language is called Breton, and is spoken in four dialects.

Sources:

History of the World, J.M. Roberts,

Encyclopedia Brittanica Vol. 15

The Celtic Empire, Peter Berrisford Ellis, Carolina Acedemic Press, 1990, (c)1994,ISBN 0-89089-457-4

The World of the Celts, Simon James, Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1993, ISBN 0-500-0567-8

The Celts, People Who Came Out of the Darkness, Gerhard Herm, St. Martin's Press, (c)1977, ISBN 312-1205-7

The Celts, Jean Markale, Inner Traditions Intl. (c)1978, ISBN 0-89281-413-6

prepared by Iain MacAnTsaoir

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