Professor Peter Heather

In the military listing from the early 420s, there is a field army account of Britain, but it's not clear whether he's in Britain. Because by that date, a fleet that used to be on the Solent is now stationed in Paris. It's called the Pevensey fleet, but it's in Paris. So the thought is that the key elements of the Roman military in southern Britain are taken to the continent and never come back.

In the military listing from the early 420s, there is a field army account of Britain, but it's not clear whether he's in Britain. Because by that date, a fleet that used to be on the Solent is now stationed in Paris. It's called the Pevensey fleet, but it's in Paris. So the thought is that the key elements of the Roman military in southern Britain are taken to the continent and never come back.

In the military listing from the early 420s, there is a field army account of Britain, but it's not clear whether he's in Britain. Because by that date, a fleet that used to be on the Solent is now stationed in Paris. It's called the Pevensey fleet, but it's in Paris. So the thought is that the key elements of the Roman military in southern Britain are taken to the continent and never come back.

The Hadrian's War units are probably still there. But what this effectively does is remove the umbrella of central Roman military protection from southern Britain.

The Hadrian's War units are probably still there. But what this effectively does is remove the umbrella of central Roman military protection from southern Britain.

The Hadrian's War units are probably still there. But what this effectively does is remove the umbrella of central Roman military protection from southern Britain.

Whether that happens immediately in 408, whether it's confirmed by Flavius Constantius when he restores order in the Western Empire and says, no, we're not going to protect Britain, that is the level of detail we don't know, which I think Olympiodorus probably would have told us if we had it, but we don't have it.

Whether that happens immediately in 408, whether it's confirmed by Flavius Constantius when he restores order in the Western Empire and says, no, we're not going to protect Britain, that is the level of detail we don't know, which I think Olympiodorus probably would have told us if we had it, but we don't have it.

Whether that happens immediately in 408, whether it's confirmed by Flavius Constantius when he restores order in the Western Empire and says, no, we're not going to protect Britain, that is the level of detail we don't know, which I think Olympiodorus probably would have told us if we had it, but we don't have it.

Well, the only narrative that we've got is by the British cleric, Gildas. The story as told by Gildas, and he's writing in the 6th century looking back to the 5th century, is that the removal of the protection leaves Britain open to attacks from Picts and Scots, so from Scotland and Ireland.

Well, the only narrative that we've got is by the British cleric, Gildas. The story as told by Gildas, and he's writing in the 6th century looking back to the 5th century, is that the removal of the protection leaves Britain open to attacks from Picts and Scots, so from Scotland and Ireland.

Well, the only narrative that we've got is by the British cleric, Gildas. The story as told by Gildas, and he's writing in the 6th century looking back to the 5th century, is that the removal of the protection leaves Britain open to attacks from Picts and Scots, so from Scotland and Ireland.

and that the local, I guess, villa-owning sub-Romano British who retain their culture and their identity for a generation or two have to take measures for their defence, one of which is calling in Saxon military auxiliaries. And those auxiliaries, first of all, beat off Picts and Scots, then decide that actually they can take the place over for themselves, call in their friends, and there we go.

and that the local, I guess, villa-owning sub-Romano British who retain their culture and their identity for a generation or two have to take measures for their defence, one of which is calling in Saxon military auxiliaries. And those auxiliaries, first of all, beat off Picts and Scots, then decide that actually they can take the place over for themselves, call in their friends, and there we go.

and that the local, I guess, villa-owning sub-Romano British who retain their culture and their identity for a generation or two have to take measures for their defence, one of which is calling in Saxon military auxiliaries. And those auxiliaries, first of all, beat off Picts and Scots, then decide that actually they can take the place over for themselves, call in their friends, and there we go.

I suspect that we've got everything going on. What I think is certainly true is that we're looking at large numbers of small groups of different kinds. The Gildas story is partly mythicized, I think, but also broadly plausible.

I suspect that we've got everything going on. What I think is certainly true is that we're looking at large numbers of small groups of different kinds. The Gildas story is partly mythicized, I think, but also broadly plausible.

I suspect that we've got everything going on. What I think is certainly true is that we're looking at large numbers of small groups of different kinds. The Gildas story is partly mythicized, I think, but also broadly plausible.

We see that kind of thing happening, but that doesn't mean, given the backstory that we've seen in the fourth century of Saxon raiding along the Channel Coast, that doesn't mean there wouldn't have been autonomous Saxon raiding as well as the Allied groups being hired in for mercenary service by the sub-Romano Brits as well. So I would have thought all these things are going on.

We see that kind of thing happening, but that doesn't mean, given the backstory that we've seen in the fourth century of Saxon raiding along the Channel Coast, that doesn't mean there wouldn't have been autonomous Saxon raiding as well as the Allied groups being hired in for mercenary service by the sub-Romano Brits as well. So I would have thought all these things are going on.