Elidurus
Encyclopedia
Elidurus the Dutiful was a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth
. He was the third son of King Morvidus
and brother of Gorbonianus
, Archgallo
, Ingenius
, and Peredurus
.
Elidurus became king following the deposition of his brother, Archgallo. He found his brother wandering in a forest five years after Elidurus was crowned. He embraced him as a brother and took Archgallo in secrecy to a nearby city. Faking a sickness, he summoned all the nobles of the kingdom to that city to visit him. Once there, Elidurus demanded they all repledge their allegiance to Archgallo under penalty of death. Once done, Elidurus took Archgallo to York
and removed his own crown and reinstated Archgallo as king of the Britons. For this, he was surnamed the Dutiful.
Ten years later, Archgallo died and Elidurus became king once again. He reigned for a few years in the manner of his eldest brother, Gorbonianus. Soon after, though, his two younger brothers, Ingenius
and Peredurus
, built armies and attacked Elidurus. They seized him and locked him in a guarded tower in Trinovantum
. He remained locked in the tower for more than seven years.
When his youngest brother, Peredurus, finally died, the realm returned to Elidurus for a third time. He reigned for a short while in justice and virtue then died. He was succeeded by an unnamed son of Gorbonianus
. His son Gerennus
would later become king of Britain.
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...
. He was the third son of King Morvidus
Morvidus
Morvidus was a legendary king of the Britons from 341 to 336 B.C., as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the illegitimate son of Danius by his mistress Tanguesteaia....
and brother of Gorbonianus
Gorbonianus
Gorbonianus was a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the eldest son of King Morvidus, and the brother of Archgallo, Elidurus, Ingenius, and Peredurus, and...
, Archgallo
Archgallo
Archgallo was a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the second son of King Morvidus and brother of Gorbonianus....
, Ingenius
Ingenius (British king)
Ingenius is a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the fourth son of King Morvidus and brother of Gorbonianus, Archgallo, Elidurus, and Peredurus....
, and Peredurus
Peredurus
Peredurus is a legendary king of the Britons in Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudohistorical chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae. According to Geoffrey he was the youngest son of King Morvidus and brother of Gorbonianus, Archgallo, Elidurus, and Ingenius....
.
Elidurus became king following the deposition of his brother, Archgallo. He found his brother wandering in a forest five years after Elidurus was crowned. He embraced him as a brother and took Archgallo in secrecy to a nearby city. Faking a sickness, he summoned all the nobles of the kingdom to that city to visit him. Once there, Elidurus demanded they all repledge their allegiance to Archgallo under penalty of death. Once done, Elidurus took Archgallo to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and removed his own crown and reinstated Archgallo as king of the Britons. For this, he was surnamed the Dutiful.
Ten years later, Archgallo died and Elidurus became king once again. He reigned for a few years in the manner of his eldest brother, Gorbonianus. Soon after, though, his two younger brothers, Ingenius
Ingenius (British king)
Ingenius is a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was the fourth son of King Morvidus and brother of Gorbonianus, Archgallo, Elidurus, and Peredurus....
and Peredurus
Peredurus
Peredurus is a legendary king of the Britons in Geoffrey of Monmouth's pseudohistorical chronicle Historia Regum Britanniae. According to Geoffrey he was the youngest son of King Morvidus and brother of Gorbonianus, Archgallo, Elidurus, and Ingenius....
, built armies and attacked Elidurus. They seized him and locked him in a guarded tower in Trinovantum
Trinovantum
Trinovantum, in medieval British legend, is the name given to London in earliest times. According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae it was founded by the exiled Trojan Brutus, who called it Troia Nova , which gradually corrupted to Trinovantum...
. He remained locked in the tower for more than seven years.
When his youngest brother, Peredurus, finally died, the realm returned to Elidurus for a third time. He reigned for a short while in justice and virtue then died. He was succeeded by an unnamed son of Gorbonianus
Son of Gorbonianus
A Son of Gorbonianus was a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was a son of King Gorbonianus but was never given a name in the text....
. His son Gerennus
Gerennus
Gerennus was a legendary king of the Britons as accounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. He was a son of King Elidurus and was succeeded by his son Catellus. According to Geoffrey, his descendants ruled Britain through the time of the Roman invasion of Britain....
would later become king of Britain.