Caput II – Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum
by Michael Lambert
November 2024
Caput II – Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum
by Michael Lambert
November 2024
Ut Brittaniam primus Romanorum Gaius Iulius adierit
How that Gaius Julius was the first of the Romans that came into Britain
Verum eadem Brittania Romanis usque ad Gaium Iulium Caesarem inaccessa atque incognita fuit: qui anno ab Urbe condita sexcentesimo nonagesimo tertio, ante vero incarnationis Dominicae tempus anno sexagesimo, functus gradu consulatus cum Lucio Bibulo… ¹
Bede. Historia Ecclestica Gentis Anglorum. I, 2
Ut Lucius Brittanorum rex missis ad Eleutherum papam literis Christianum se fieri petierit
How that Lucius, king of the Britons, wrote to pope Eleutherus desiring to be christened
Anno ab incarnatione Domini centesimo quinquagesimo sexto Marcus Antoninus Verus, ² decimus quartus ab Augusto regnum cum Aurelio Commodo ³ fratre suscepit: quorum temporibus cum Eleutherus vir sanctus pontificatui Romanae ecclesiae praeessett, ⁴ misit ad eum Lucius Brittaniarum rex epistolam, obsecrans ut per eius mandatum Christianus efficeretur…
Bede. Historia Ecclestica Gentis Anglorum. I, 4
The year 410 CE is a determining date for Roma and Londinium. Pict and Saxon tribesmen threaten Britain. Concurrent with the threat to Britain, the Western Empire is attacked and overrun by various tribes. The Goths sack Rome and ravage southern Italy. Regarding Britain’s request for assistance, Rome’s response is “…look to own defences”
With the withdrawal of imperial authority, Roman Britain hobbles along. St. Germanus of Auxerre visited the town of St. Albans, Verulamium; to engage in an ecclesiastical debate in 445 CE. Tribal chieftains fight each other for supremacy, but the archaeological record indicates a peaceful story. There is no indication of wholesale burning of buildings and murder of the Romano-Celtic population. Sites such as West Stow and Mucking, the Saxons were allocated marginal agricultural land beside the more productive earth tilled by the indigenous Romano-Celtic populace. Who was in control?
Bede writes regarding the Saxon response to Christian conversion and Augustine created a bishop:
Ut in Cantia ⁵ primitivae ecclesiae et doctrinam sit imitates et vitam, atque in urbe regis sedem episcopatus acceperit.
At ubi datam sibi mansionem intraverant, coeperunt apostolicam primitivae ecclesiae vitam imitari; orationibus videlicet assiduis, vigilius, ac ieiuniis serviendo, verbum vitae quibus poterant praedicando, cuncta huius mundi velut aliena spernendo, ea tantum quae victui necessaria videbantur, ab eis quos docebant, accipiendo, secundum ea quae docebant ipsi per omnia vivendo, et paratum ad patiendum adversa quaeque, vel etiam ad moriendum pro ea quam praedicabant veritate, animum habendo…
Bede. Historia Ecclestica Gentis Anglorum. I, 26
Ut idem episcopus factus, Gregoria papae, quo sint Brittaniae gesta mandarit…
Interea vir Domini Augustinus venit Arelas, et ab archiepiscopo eiusdem civitatis Aetherio, iuxta quod iussa sancti patris Gregorii acceperant, archiepiscopus genti Anglorum ordinatus est, reversusque Brittaniam, misit continuo Romam Laurentium presbyterum, et Petrum monachum, qui beato pontifici Gregorio gentem Anglorum fidem Christi suscepisse, ac se episcopum factum esse referent: simul et de eis quae necessariae videbantur questionibus, eius consulta flagitans. Nec mora, congrua quaesitui responsa recepit; quae etiam huic Historiae nostrae commodum duximus indere.
Bede. Historia Ecclestica Gentis Anglorum. I, 27
Bede’s dates are in error. Rome founded 695 anno urbis conditae. Caesar invaded 55 and 54 BCE
Marcus Antoninus Verus usually referred to as Marcus Aurelius, succeeded 161 CE
Aurelio Commodo usually referred to as Lucius Aurelius Verus, died 169 CE. Earliest date for Eleutherus is 171 CE. Confusion, similarity of Roman names: L Verus and L Aurelius Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius, reigned jointly with father 177-189 CE
Bede cites Lucius and his conversion. Sources suggest confusion, similarity of nomenclature: Lucius king of Edessa, Mesopotamia, whose citadel was at Britium
Cantium. 2n. Kent, a county in southeast England