Caradocus
Encyclopedia
In Geoffrey of Monmouth
's Historia regum Britanniae
, a fictional account of the kings of the Britons, Caradocus (middle Welsh
: Karadawc) was titular king of the Britons in the absence of Emperor Magnus Maximus
, who had left to campaign in Gaul
.
Caradocus was the Duke
of Cornwall
during the reign of Octavius
. It was he who suggested to Octavius that he should wed his daughter to Maximus and unite Britain
with Rome
through that union. When Octavius agreed to the idea, Caradocus sent out his son, Mauricius, to Rome as to deliver the message to Maximus. Conan Meriadoc
, the king's nephew, did not approve and nearly attacked Maximus when he landed near Southampton
. Only when Caradocus arrived was peace restored. They dispersed and Octavius handed Maximus the kingship and retired, as Caradocus rallied behind Maximus. Five years after Maximus became king of Britain, he left the country to ravage the land of Gaul. He left Britain in the hands of Caradocus, who became the king unofficially. He ruled Britain for a number of years until he died and was succeeded by his brother, Dionotus
.
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...
's 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...
, a fictional account of the kings of the Britons, Caradocus (middle 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...
: Karadawc) was titular king of the Britons in the absence of Emperor Magnus Maximus
Magnus Maximus
Magnus Maximus , also known as Maximianus and Macsen Wledig in Welsh, was Western Roman Emperor from 383 to 388. As commander of Britain, he usurped the throne against Emperor Gratian in 383...
, who had left to campaign in Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
.
Caradocus was the Duke
Legendary Dukes of Cornwall
"Duke of Cornwall" appears as a title in pseudo-historical authors as Nennius and Geoffrey of Monmouth. The list is extremely patchy, and not every succession was unbroken. Indeed, Geoffrey repeatedly introduces Dukes of Cornwall only to promote them to the Kingship of the Britons and thus put an...
of Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
during the reign of Octavius
Octavius
Octavius or Eudaf Hen is a figure of Welsh tradition. He is remembered as a King of the Britons and the father of Elen Luyddog and Conan Meriadoc in sources such as the Welsh prose tale The Dream of Macsen and Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae...
. It was he who suggested to Octavius that he should wed his daughter to Maximus and unite Britain
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
with Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
through that union. When Octavius agreed to the idea, Caradocus sent out his son, Mauricius, to Rome as to deliver the message to Maximus. Conan Meriadoc
Conan Meriadoc
Conan Meriadoc is a legendary British leader credited with founding Brittany. Versions of his story circulated in both Brittany and Great Britain from at least the early 12th century, and supplanted earlier legends of Brittany's foundation...
, the king's nephew, did not approve and nearly attacked Maximus when he landed near Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
. Only when Caradocus arrived was peace restored. They dispersed and Octavius handed Maximus the kingship and retired, as Caradocus rallied behind Maximus. Five years after Maximus became king of Britain, he left the country to ravage the land of Gaul. He left Britain in the hands of Caradocus, who became the king unofficially. He ruled Britain for a number of years until he died and was succeeded by his brother, Dionotus
Dionotus
In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia regum Britanniae, whose account of the rulers of Britain is based on ancient Welsh sources disputed by many historians, Dionotus was a "legendary" King of the Britons during the campaigns in Gaul led by Emperor Magnus Maximus...
.