De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae Gildas

gildas best known polemic de excidio et conquestu britanniae, recounts sub-roman history of britain, , substantial source history of period written near-contemporary.

the work sermon in 3 parts condemning acts of contemporaries, both secular , religious. first part consists of gildas explanation work , brief narrative of roman britain conquest under principate gildas time. describes doings of romans , groans of britons, in britons make 1 last request military aid departed roman military. excoriates fellow britons sins, while @ same time lauding heroes such ambrosius aurelianus, whom first describe leader of resistance saxons. mentions victory @ battle of mons badonicus, feat attributed king arthur in later texts, though gildas unclear led battle.

part 2 consists of condemnation of 5 british kings, constantine, aurelius conanus, vortiporius, cuneglas, , maelgwn. contemporary information them, of particular interest scholars of british history. part 3 similar attack on clergy of time.

the works of gildas, including excidio, can found in volume 69 of patrologia latina.

de excidio dated 540s, historian guy halsall inclines gildas c. 490. cambridge historian karen george offers date range of c. 510–530 ad.

spring of st gildas, magoar, brittany


veneration

gildas relics venerated in abbey founded in rhuys, until 10th century, when removed berry. in 18th century, said moved cathedral @ vannes , hidden during french revolution. various relics survived revolution , have since been returned saint-gildas-de-rhuys visible @ various times of year @ dedicated treasury in village. body of saint gildas (minus pieces incorporated various reliquaries) buried behind altar in church of saint gildas de rhuys.

the gold , silver covered relics of saint gildas include:

a reliquary head containing parts of saints skull
an arm reliquary containing bone pieces, topped blessing hand
a reliquary femur , knee

the embroidered mitre supposedly worn gildas kept these relics. gildas patron saint of several churches , monasteries in brittany, , feast day celebrated on 29 january.

further traditions

gildas credited hymn called lorica, or breastplate, prayer deliverance evil, contains specimens of hiberno-latin. proverb attributed gildas mab y gaw in englynion y clyweid in llanstephan ms. 27.

in bonedd y saint, gildas recorded having 3 sons , daughter. gwynnog ap gildas , noethon ap gildas named in earliest tracts, sister dolgar. son, tydech, named in later document. iolo morganwg adds saint cenydd list.

the scholar david dumville suggests gildas teacher of finnian of moville, in turn teacher of st. columba of iona.