Aurelius Conanus
Encyclopedia
Aurelius Conanus or Aurelius Caninus was a Brythonic
king in 6th-century sub-Roman Britain
. The only certain historical record of him is in the writings of his contemporary Gildas
, who excoriates him as a tyrant. However, he may be identified with one of the several similarly named figures active in Britain during this period. In the 12th century Geoffrey of Monmouth
adapted Gildas' account for his chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae
, and thereafter Aurelius Conanus was remembered as a legendary King of Britain.
discusses Aurelius Conanus in Chapter 30 of his work De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae
, in a section in which he reproves five kings for their various sins. All the kings are compared to Biblical beasts; Aurelius is called the "lion's whelp". Gildas castigates him for his "horrible murders, fornications, and adulteries", and beseeches him to repent his sins before he ends up like the rest of his family, who have already died pursuing similar ends.
Little else can be said of Aurelius Conanus with any certainty; it is not even known in which part of Britain he ruled. Historian John Edward Lloyd
suggests that the form Caninus, appearing in one important manuscript of De Excidio, may have been a corruption of the more common Cuna(g)nus, or Cynan in Welsh
. As such he may be identified with one of the figures of that era who bore that name, such as Cynan Garwyn
of Powys or his relative Cynin ap Millo. Lloyd suggests a connection with the degenerate descendants of the great hero Aurelius Ambrosius whom Gildas mentions in Chapter 25. In this case his kingdom may have been located out in the territory later taken by the Anglo-Saxons, i.e. what is now England
.
In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth
adapted Gildas' account for his influential pseudohistory Historia Regum Britanniae
, adding fictional details and making these contemporary regional rulers successive high-kings of Britain. Geoffrey makes Aurelius Conanus the nephew to the previous king Constantine
, whom he kills after a reign of only three years. The kingship should go to another, unnamed uncle of Aurelius', but Aurelius pursues a civil war, ultimately imprisoning his kinsman and killing his sons. However, Aurelius only rules for two years before he himself dies; he is succeeded by Vortiporius
.
Britons (historical)
The Britons were the Celtic people culturally dominating Great Britain from the Iron Age through the Early Middle Ages. They spoke the Insular Celtic language known as British or Brythonic...
king in 6th-century sub-Roman Britain
Sub-Roman Britain
Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an archaeological label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity: the term "Sub-Roman" was invented to describe the potsherds in sites of the 5th century and the 6th century, initially with an implication of decay of locally-made wares from a...
. The only certain historical record of him is in the writings of his contemporary Gildas
Gildas
Gildas was a 6th-century British cleric. He is one of the best-documented figures of the Christian church in the British Isles during this period. His renowned learning and literary style earned him the designation Gildas Sapiens...
, who excoriates him as a tyrant. However, he may be identified with one of the several similarly named figures active in Britain during this period. In the 12th century Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
adapted Gildas' account for his chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation...
, and thereafter Aurelius Conanus was remembered as a legendary King of Britain.
Accounts
GildasGildas
Gildas was a 6th-century British cleric. He is one of the best-documented figures of the Christian church in the British Isles during this period. His renowned learning and literary style earned him the designation Gildas Sapiens...
discusses Aurelius Conanus in Chapter 30 of his work De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae
De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae
De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae is a work by the 6th-century British cleric Gildas. It is a sermon in three parts condemning the acts of Gildas' contemporaries, both secular and religious, whom he blames for the dire state of affairs in sub-Roman Britain...
, in a section in which he reproves five kings for their various sins. All the kings are compared to Biblical beasts; Aurelius is called the "lion's whelp". Gildas castigates him for his "horrible murders, fornications, and adulteries", and beseeches him to repent his sins before he ends up like the rest of his family, who have already died pursuing similar ends.
Little else can be said of Aurelius Conanus with any certainty; it is not even known in which part of Britain he ruled. Historian John Edward Lloyd
John Edward Lloyd
Sir John Edward Lloyd , was a Welsh historian, the author of the first serious history of the country's formative years, A History of Wales from the Earliest Times to the Edwardian Conquest, 2 vols...
suggests that the form Caninus, appearing in one important manuscript of De Excidio, may have been a corruption of the more common Cuna(g)nus, or Cynan in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
. As such he may be identified with one of the figures of that era who bore that name, such as Cynan Garwyn
Cynan Garwyn
Cynan Garwyn was king of Powys in the north-east and east of Wales, who flourished in the second half of the 6th century. Little reliable information exists which can be used to reconstruct the background and career of the historical figure...
of Powys or his relative Cynin ap Millo. Lloyd suggests a connection with the degenerate descendants of the great hero Aurelius Ambrosius whom Gildas mentions in Chapter 25. In this case his kingdom may have been located out in the territory later taken by the Anglo-Saxons, i.e. what is now England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In the 12th century, Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
adapted Gildas' account for his influential pseudohistory Historia Regum Britanniae
Historia Regum Britanniae
The Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical account of British history, written c. 1136 by Geoffrey of Monmouth. It chronicles the lives of the kings of the Britons in a chronological narrative spanning a time of two thousand years, beginning with the Trojans founding the British nation...
, adding fictional details and making these contemporary regional rulers successive high-kings of Britain. Geoffrey makes Aurelius Conanus the nephew to the previous king Constantine
Constantine (Briton)
Constantine was a minor king in 6th-century sub-Roman Britain, who was remembered in later British tradition as a legendary King of Britain. The only contemporary information about him comes from Gildas, who calls him king of Damnonia and castigates him for his various sins, including the murder...
, whom he kills after a reign of only three years. The kingship should go to another, unnamed uncle of Aurelius', but Aurelius pursues a civil war, ultimately imprisoning his kinsman and killing his sons. However, Aurelius only rules for two years before he himself dies; he is succeeded by Vortiporius
Vortiporius
Vortiporius was a king of Dyfed in the early to mid-6th century. He ruled over an area approximately corresponding to the modern Pembrokeshire. As a mythical king in Geoffrey of Monmouth's treatment of the Matter of Britain, he was the successor of Aurelius Conanus and was succeeded by...
.