The Fall of the Western Empire and the End of Roman Britain

Abstract

Between the usurpation of Constantine III and the death of Aetius there are a handful of dateable events associated with the British Isles. Of these the best recorded are the two visits of Germanus to Britain in 429 and c 435. The narrative account of these visits, however, is contained in Constantius's Vita Germani, a work in which literary and theological concerns may well triumph over factual accuracy. Speculation about sub-Roman Britain on the basis of Constantius's account is a fascinating, but dangerous, pastime. If we wish to stay on relatively firm ground, we must consider the voyages of Germanus, as well as subsequent contacts between Britain and the continent, in the context of events south of the Channel.