Shropshire's Secrets

The Fall & Rise of Viriconium

The Romans (ie people from Rome) did not simply get up and go at some date around 200 AD. What happened is a more complex decline of an Empire which had, in most parts, already been handed over to locals, or at least Northern Europeans, to administer. As the Empire declined there was even a conscious move by Rome to hand over both military and civil administration to the indigenous population. This means that as Romans left Viroconium they were replaced by locals who eventually ruled their country in a similar manner to what the Romans had. Historians and archaeologists tend to only look at the Roman history of Viroconium, but I find the post-Roman history of Viroconium the most fascinating.

Nowadays, when a country has been ravaged by either war, or natural, political or economic disasters, the survivors pick up the pieces and, obviously, utilise buildings for whatever purpose is most practical. Houses become military posts, military buildings become hospitals schools or administrative centres. Viroconium was no different, except that it was still intact. Probably the only thing lacking was the skills or finances to carry out repairs to public buildings.
At Viroconium there is a period between the withdrawal of Rome and the arrival of invaders which shows that life went on in a similar style to that of the height of Roman influence. Excavations have shown that on the site of the basilica, a building of comparable style to a Norman cathedral, there was a slow decline of its physical state. First the central nave lost its roof, though the aisles remained in use. Later wattle buildings were built on the site. Let us try and picture the last few decades of Roman Viriconium.

350 A.D. By this time, Britain had been part of the Roman Empire for around three hundred years. In the beginning the indigenous population were a conquered race, but for over a hundred years they had been Roman citizens with all the benefits, and rules and regulations, that distant Rome bequeathed.
Much of the administration, both civil and military, was carried out by Britons, but it must be remembered that those Britons were also Romans, in thought, deed and habit. Around 400 AD, as the Roman Empire started to collapse, the Poet Claudian said, of Rome, that she;

His views are reinforced by the fact that, as the Empire collapsed, its parts did not turn away from Rome, but clung to it in an attempt to retain the stability she had given them. But, like the parts of today's united Europe, these parts sometimes disagreed with what Rome decreed. One of the areas in which there was disagreement was religion, an issue which has probably caused more wars than any other single issue since man first picked up a stone and threw it at his neighbour.
The general area of disagreement was simply one of how the church should behave. Rome had been founded on paganism, with a god for almost every occasion. It had wisely adopted Christianity as the State religion and assumed that all of its subjects would follow, but that had become the thorn, particularly as, initially, the Roman Emperor was head of the Roman Church as well as head of the military and political might of Rome. This meant that the direction in which the Church went was according to the whim, or the perversions, of the Emperor. The priest, Pelagius, a Briton was one who questioned the Catholic apostolic succession. His teachings have been compared with those of Martin Luther as both questioned the idea of a State religion.

380 A.D. Pelagius was so confident of his belief that he left for Rome where he came under conflict with the Church of Rome.

383 A.D. Magnus Maximus was proclaimed Emperor of Britain by his Legions. This was part of a power struggle in the western half of the empire and does not concern our story except by effect, as Magnus Maximus left Britain with his troops, gathering support as he marched and took Rome. However, the eastern half of the empire disagreed with his actions and in the ensuing war Magnus Maximus was killed.
Magnus Maximus left two daughters and, probably in a bid to resolve a potentially difficult political situation, one of them was married to Vortigern. Now exactly who Vortigern was is not exactly known. But who he became is, for he is mentioned on the Eliseg Pillar as the man whom Germanus blessed and who married Severa, the daughter of Maximus, the king (emperor) who killed the king (emperor) of the Romans. Vortigern, possibly of the Cornovii tribe, but most certainly living in the area of present-day Shropshire/Powys effectively became the first local King, which included most of present-day Shropshire.

From excavations at Viriconium, near Shrewsbury, it is evident that this was an important centre of civil administration in the 4th and 5th centuries, and as Magnus Maximus had been stationed here, it is likely that his daughters lived here and that it was here that Severa married Vortigern and that it was from here that he ruled, or governed, initially. But now we have a problem as we will be mentioning Vortigern much later, around 460 AD. As it is unlikely that he lived that long, we have to find an explanation. It is generally believed by many historians that the name Vortigern was more of a title than a name. The word Vortigern (from the Latin for overlord) implies he was a king of kings, or at least a leader of leaders. The Eliseg Pillar lists Britu as the son of Vortigern and Severa, and he seems to have passed into some historical records as Vortigern too, or should I say Vortigern II.

It is interesting to note that around this time, much of the centre of Viroconium was cleared and replaced with massively framed timber buildings. The street to the north of it had timber buildings, shops were built, as were barns which were either created from converted buildings or built from scratch. Effectively, a new town, or possibly a palace was created from the old. A town of importance belonging to a man of importance, a local tyrant or petty king. Vortigern, the Cornovii leader who married the daughter of a Roman Emperor and took it as his capital? But at the turn of the century, unrest came to mainland Europe which had a knock-on effect in Britain.

401 A.D. Alaric, king of the Visigoths, invades northern Italy.

407 A.D. Constantine, a Roman officer is proclaimed emperor by the British legions. He takes the title of Constantine III and invades Gaul. The eventual result was a ludicrous situation where a number of people, each controlling part of the Roman Empire, all claimed to be Emperor. The Roman Empire had lost its cohesion and it was an opportunity that the enemies of Rome could not pass up.

408 A.D. Alaric lays siege to Rome and Emperor Honorius is forced to withdraw troops from Britain.

409 A.D. Picts & Irish tribes invade NW Britain & W. Wales.

410 A.D. Rome falls to the Visigoths and Alaric. In Britain, the stability of centuries of Roman control is almost at an end as the country is threatened. A plea is made to Rome for help, but rather than send more troops, Honorius is forced to withdraw the last of the Roman legions.
One can almost picture the locals jumping for joy as the last troops left, but such a picture would be false, for with the fall of Rome and the withdrawal of troops, Britain lost the very thing that had given it stability and prosperity for centuries. In Rome itself, there were some who felt that there was a necessity for part of Rome's heritage to survive, and it is documented that sacred artifacts, including the cup found by Empress Helena were sent to the far north (Britain) for safe-keeping.

411 A.D. Constantine III is defeated at Arles and is later executed by Honorius.

412 A.D. Honorius send the Comes Britanniarum to Britain, together with an auxiliary field force.
The Comes Britanniarum (Count of the Britons) was a title of the man appointed to lead an auxiliary field force to, presumably, create stability in at least one part of the former Roman Empire. Who he was is not stated, but we might be permitted to make a guess. The last person the Britons supported was Constantine III (see 407), so it is possible that it was one of his relations. - By sending someone that the Britons could connect with would make life easier for Honorius.

416 A.D. The Roman Church proclaims that the teachings of Pelagius constitute a heresy.
In those few years since 407, Britain had tasted a new independence, and a number of contemporary historians recorded events of importance. The Greek historian, Zosimus, records that the people of Britain, presumably tasting their new independence, took up arms and braved every peril, freeing their cities from the attacking barbarians, and that they expelled the Roman officials and established a civil policy according to their own inclination. This is confirmed by subsequent events.
This new independence may have also fragmented the country as each local leader bid to become local ruler. The boundaries and borders were now wide open and Eastern Britain saw settlers from what is now Denmark and Germany arrive. These Jutes, Angles and Saxons have passed into history as Saxons.

418 A.D. The Comes Britanniarum is withdrawn from Britain, together with any military presence that remains. The later Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records that In this year the Romans collected all the treasures which were in Britain and hid some in the earth so that no-one afterwards could find them, and some they took with them into Gaul.
Now, what would they take with them? Most likely, the primary items would be weapons as there was to be war wherever they went. The secondary item would be personal belongings and easily transported items of value. Luxury items and the trappings of wealth would be left behind to, hopefully, be reclaimed at a later date. In many Roman sites, throughout the country, hoards of Roman coins have been found, confirming this.
What else might they have hidden? Religious relics? Possible, but they would more likely to have been in the control of local priests and religious leaders. But this sudden withdrawal could explain why the temple at Viroconium was stripped, as the Romans might have taken or hidden items which leant towards their beliefs, leaving local priests with what they held dear.

Before we carry on, let us review what religious relics MIGHT have been kept at Viroconium.
1. The relics sent to the far north for safe-keeping. These might have included the Marian Chalice.
2. Relics held dear to those who believed in pelagianism. - The relics which were brought to this country by Joseph of Arimathea.
As a matter of fact, I find it hard to believe that items from both factions of Christian belief would have ended up in Shropshire. But here's the twist. For future generations, it is not whether these relics were to be found here, but the BELIEF that they may have which was to be of importance.

Circa 420 A.D. The kingdom of Powys is founded with Vortigern as king.
Though Viriconium was no longer under the control of the Roman Empire, it underwent some rebuilding at this time. Amongst the new buildings was a mansion which may have been the palace of the post-Roman chief or king. Vortigern must have thought himself lucky to have been bequeathed a Roman town as his capital. It was probably far more advanced in architecture and facilities than most towns at that time in the country. This rebuilding also reinforces the theory that some local rulers tended to continue, or even build on, their Roman heritage, whilst others reverted to tribalism.
At this time Viriconium was the most sophisticated settlement under the control of the Britons. A fitting place from which the overlord, (Vortigern - lord of lords) ruled.

425 A.D. Vortigern assumes control of central and southern Britain.

429 A.D. St Germanus visited Britain. His biographer Constantius recorded that although there was trouble in the north of the country, most of the country continued an organised life style as practised before under the Romans.
Around that time it is recorded that an alternative church still survived in Britain called Pelagianism, from the priest Pelagius, a Briton who questioned the Catholic apostolic succession.
According to his biographer, Constantius of Lyon, he initially met with success at St. Albans, and continued through the country, converting those he met. Then he met with Vortigern the king who ruled most of central and southern Britain at that time at the capital. As the most important city of that time was Viriconium, it would make it the capital of most of Britain. A capital city which supported Pelagianism (and its connections with Joseph of Arimathea?)

445 A.D. A plague epidemic reaches Britain, severely weakening Vortigern's control.

446 A.D. Pictish raids recommence in northern Britain. Further Irish invasions of West Wales take place.

447 A.D. Germanus visits Britain for a second time and accuses Vortigern of incest with his daughter. Later it was recorded that Vortigern withdrew in disgrace to the fortress of Vortigern, which is in the country of the Demetians, (SW Wales) on the river Teifi. Saint Germanus followed him, as before, and stayed there fasting with all his clergy for three days and as many nights to achieve his end, and on the fourth night about midnight, the whole fortress was suddenly destroyed by fire sent from heaven. Vortigern was destroyed with all who were with him. - A natural catastrophe seems to have been seen as an act of divine vengeance.
Vortigern is succeeded by his son, Britu, (Vortigern II) who renounced Pelagianism, thus putting the Shropshire/Powys area (amongst others that Britu controlled) on the path of Catholicism.

448 A.D. The British make an unsuccessful request for military aid to the Roman consul, Aetius, in Gaul. Britain was in a state of upheaval. Famine hit the land, and the fight was to stay alive from hunger, rather than stay alive from foes.

449 A.D. Britu invites Saxon mercenaries into Britain to fight the Picts & the Irish. Amongst these was Horsa & Hengist who, although they are traditionally connected with Kent, may have Shropshire connections, as I discovered by accident when researching the village of Tong. (In fact, their connection with Kent did not occur until around 455 AD.)

"Vortigern II, (Britu) finding his crown red-hot to him, by reason of the disaffection of his subjects, and the fears he had of his enemies, resolved to strengthen himself by alliance with the Anglo-Saxons. A detachment of these enemies of his country in their war galley, had just landed in Kent, headed by two brothers, Hengist and Horsa. To them applied this unworthy king, with messages of peace. desiring them to repair to his presence. Forthwith they comply and stand before the king. King Vortigern, having surveyed them from head to foot, inquired of them (what he knew well enough), whence they came and with what object. Hengist being the Mercury of the twain, made answer, according to the Monmouth Book, as follows:-
Most noble King! Saxony was the place of our birth, and our object in coming hither was to offer our services to you, or any other prince in want of them. It is a custom among us, that when our country is over-populated, we should cast lots to decide which of our young and valiant men shall seek their fortunes somewhere else; and the lot having lately fallen upon us - you see us in your presence.
King Vortigern, regarding them earnestly, asked what gods they worshipped - he himself being professedly, though not much good in practice, a Christian.
"We worship our country's gods," says Hengist, "the chief of whom are Woden and Friga."
Then said Vortigern, "I regret your ungodliness, but am glad of your coming. For I am just now oppressed with enemies on every side; and if you will aid me in putting them down, I will entertain you honourably, and bestow on you lands and other distinctions."
Hengist and Horsa could not fail of being satisfied with this arrangement; and an army of Picts presently breaking in upon the country from the north, they went forth with Vortigern against them, and enabled him to gain a complete victory. Hengist now thought he might advance a little in his demands; and, though Vortigern had already bestowed on him a large grant of land, he came to him and said, "My Lord King! your enemies are again making head, and your own subjects love you very little. With your leave we will send over to our own country for some more to help us; and there is also another thing I shall be glad to mention to you."
What is that!" says Vortigern.
Why," says Hengist, "the possessions you have given me in houses and lands are certainly very large, but I have no rank conferred upon me suitable to them. I should wish to have some town or city made over to me, that I might take a title from it, and thereby find my proper place among your own nobility."
The thing you ask now is out of my power. You are strangers and pagans, and my nobility would be highly displeased."
Nay then," says Hengist, give me, at all events, so much land in addition to what I have already, as I can encompass with thongs cut from a single hide, to build a stronghold upon, wherein I may shelter, if there be need. For faithful I have been to you, and faithful I will be."
Well," said the King, "I shall grant you that much." Whereon Hengist cut his thongs as narrow as he well could, and, having, already selected a strong rocky position, he compassed it about, and built a strong tower thereupon, to which he gave the name of Thong Castle."

Chronicles of Merry England - The Saxons.

455 A.D. Saxon revolt led by Hengist & Horsa. The battle of Egelesprep (Aylesford) takes place in which Horsa and Cateyrn die. Hengist establishes the kingdom of Kent. British forces are defeated.

455-60 A.D. The Anglo-Saxons take control of eastern Britain. Britu is deposed. When he was hated for his sin, because he received the English (Saxons) people, by all men of his nation, mighty and humble, slave and free, monk and layman, poor and great, he wandered from place to place until at last his heart broke, and he died without honour.
With Britu gone, it is Ambrosius Aurelius and Vitalinus who takes centre stage. It is recorded that Ambrosius Aurelius was, a gentleman who, perhaps alone of the Romans, had survived the shock of this notable storm; certainly his parents who had worn the purple, were slain in it. Now this needs a bit of translation.
Alone of the Romans, This doesn't mean he was a Roman (ie from Rome) as all Britons were Romans during the Empire, but it might mean he still adhered to the ways of Rome both politically and religiously.
-- had worn the purple. This implies at least he was of nobility.
-- were slain in it (storm). This probably refers to the Saxon invasion Conjecture and legend do nothing to shed light on to his identity, but he MAY have been related to Constantine III (see 407 & 412). In Welsh historical documents he is listed as Gwledig Emrys (Prince Emrys) - Emrys being a Welsh version of Ambrosius. His name is connected with Dinas Emrys, an Iron Age hill fort near Beddgelert in Gwynedd.
Vitalinus, the one who had supported pelagianism, was probably a member of the Vortigern dynasty. The only hint we have that he may have been is in the name, as the grandfather of Vortigern was also named Vitalinus.
Effectively this implies that religion, once again, plays a part in our history. Ambrosius, the imperialist, supporting the catholic doctrine, and Vitalinus supporting pelagianism.

459 AD. The battle of Guoloph is fought, at which Ambrosius fights Vitalinus (probably for control of Powys, present-day Shropshire and probably much of Vortigern's old kingdom to add to Gwynedd which he already controlled.) This new kingdom would be a very large slice of present-day England and Wales.

Shropshire's Secrets
I have yet to find out much about Pelagius. If only we could find proof that he had connections with Viriconium, then we would have gone some way in reinforcing the possibility that Shropshire was a centre for an alternative Christian belief, and in doing so we would reinforce any claim on a connection with Joseph of Arimathea.

The site of the Battle of Guoloph has not, to my mind been established. Graham Phillips has identified it as on, or near, the River Wallop in west Shropshire, but I have been unable to find even a stream by this name. However, the name Guoloph, or Wallop, lives on in the name of a part of the parish of Westbury, to the south-west of Shrewsbury (continued on next page).