Professor Peter Heather

It's very late, actually. Looking back on the 290s, a chronicler writing in the 370s talks about Saxons and Franks causing trouble in the Channel. Some people suggest that's an anachronism. The first absolute contemporary indisputable mention is in the so-called Verona List from 314. And I actually think there's nothing wrong with the mention from the 290s, but it's circa 300.

It's very late, actually. Looking back on the 290s, a chronicler writing in the 370s talks about Saxons and Franks causing trouble in the Channel. Some people suggest that's an anachronism. The first absolute contemporary indisputable mention is in the so-called Verona List from 314. And I actually think there's nothing wrong with the mention from the 290s, but it's circa 300.

It's very late, actually. Looking back on the 290s, a chronicler writing in the 370s talks about Saxons and Franks causing trouble in the Channel. Some people suggest that's an anachronism. The first absolute contemporary indisputable mention is in the so-called Verona List from 314. And I actually think there's nothing wrong with the mention from the 290s, but it's circa 300.

In other words, it's very much a late Roman ethonym.

In other words, it's very much a late Roman ethonym.

In other words, it's very much a late Roman ethonym.

No, it is quite striking. Some of these later Roman confederative names like Goths do appear in Tacitus' lists. And obviously the Goths of the 4th century are very different from the Goths of Tacitus' time. But Saxons aren't mentioned at all.

No, it is quite striking. Some of these later Roman confederative names like Goths do appear in Tacitus' lists. And obviously the Goths of the 4th century are very different from the Goths of Tacitus' time. But Saxons aren't mentioned at all.

No, it is quite striking. Some of these later Roman confederative names like Goths do appear in Tacitus' lists. And obviously the Goths of the 4th century are very different from the Goths of Tacitus' time. But Saxons aren't mentioned at all.

They are in the northern part of Germany. They are immediately behind, as it were, in an eastwards direction, the Franks. So the Franks are on the North Sea, lower Rhine, in that kind of region. And the Saxons are their eastern neighbours. We're talking... areas like, well, by the fourth century, we're talking the northeastern part of the Netherlands. Now we're talking southern Denmark.

They are in the northern part of Germany. They are immediately behind, as it were, in an eastwards direction, the Franks. So the Franks are on the North Sea, lower Rhine, in that kind of region. And the Saxons are their eastern neighbours. We're talking... areas like, well, by the fourth century, we're talking the northeastern part of the Netherlands. Now we're talking southern Denmark.

They are in the northern part of Germany. They are immediately behind, as it were, in an eastwards direction, the Franks. So the Franks are on the North Sea, lower Rhine, in that kind of region. And the Saxons are their eastern neighbours. We're talking... areas like, well, by the fourth century, we're talking the northeastern part of the Netherlands. Now we're talking southern Denmark.

We're talking Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany.

We're talking Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany.

We're talking Schleswig-Holstein in northern Germany.

Yeah, these groups all don't like the Romans, but they don't like each other either. The sources are quite unanimous that quite a lot of this kind of Frankish intrusion onto West Roman territory in the 4th century is a knock-on effect from conflict with Saxons. And there's archaeological reflections, too, of at least spreading Saxon influence westwards.

Yeah, these groups all don't like the Romans, but they don't like each other either. The sources are quite unanimous that quite a lot of this kind of Frankish intrusion onto West Roman territory in the 4th century is a knock-on effect from conflict with Saxons. And there's archaeological reflections, too, of at least spreading Saxon influence westwards.

Yeah, these groups all don't like the Romans, but they don't like each other either. The sources are quite unanimous that quite a lot of this kind of Frankish intrusion onto West Roman territory in the 4th century is a knock-on effect from conflict with Saxons. And there's archaeological reflections, too, of at least spreading Saxon influence westwards.

We can certainly say that they spoke a Germanic language. That is crystal clear. The Anglo-Saxon language that comes down to us in the British context, or some of the manuscript evidence is going back to the late 7th, early 8th centuries, and its Germanic character is completely clear, yeah.

We can certainly say that they spoke a Germanic language. That is crystal clear. The Anglo-Saxon language that comes down to us in the British context, or some of the manuscript evidence is going back to the late 7th, early 8th centuries, and its Germanic character is completely clear, yeah.