The Britains 15 were once very populous, and exercised extensive dominion by sea. “He reigned over Britain and its three Islands.” 14 It is fertilized by several rivers, which traverse it in all directions, to the east and west, to the south and north but there are two pre-eminently distinguished among the rest, the Thames and the Severn, which formerly, like the two arms of Britain, bore the ships employed in the conveyance of the riches acquired by commerce.

Three considerable islands belong to it one, on the south, opposite the Armorican shore, called Wight, 11 another between Ireland and Britain called Eubonia 12 or Man and another directly north, beyond the Picts, named Orkney 13 and hence it was anciently a proverbial expression, in reference to its kings and rulers, Its inhabitants consist of four different people the Scots, the Picts, the Saxons, and the ancient Britains. 10 It has also a vast many promontories, and castles innumerable, built of brick and stone. These are the names of the ancient cities of the island of Britain. 6 Taken from the south-west point (with something of an occidental bearing) to the northern 7 extremity, 8 it measures 800 miles, and is in breadth 200. The island of Britain derives its name from Brutus, 5 a Roman consul. Here beginneth the history of the Britons, edited by Mark 4 the Anchorite, a holy Bishop of that people. The first age of the world is from Adam to Noah the second from Noah to Abraham the third from Abraham to David the fourth from David to Daniel the fifth to John the Baptist the sixth from John to the Judgment, when our Lord Jesus Christ will come to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire. From the Passion of Christ are completed, nine hundred and forty-six from his Incarnation, nine hundred and seventy-six:īeing the fifth year of Edmund, 2 King of the Angles. So that from Adam to the ministry of Christ, and the fifteenth year of the Emperor Tiberius, are five thousand two hundred and twenty-eight years. From Darius to the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the fifteenth year of the Emperor Tiberius, are five hundred and forty-eight years. From Solomon to the re-building of the temple, which was under Darius, King of the Persians, six hundred and twelve years are computed.

From Moses to Solomon, and the first building of the temple, four hundred and forty-eight. From the flood to Abraham nine hundred and forty-two. Gunn, London: Printed for John and Arthur Arch, 1819 pp. 1-8, 87-122.į ROM Adam 1 to the flood are two thousand and forty-two years. From The “Historia Brittonum” Commonly Attributed to Nennius From a Manuscript Lately Discovered in the Library of the Vatican Palace at Rome: edited in the Tenth Century by Mark the Hermit with an English Version, Fac Simile of the Original, Notes and Illustrations, by the Rev.

Nennius historia brittonum