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IntheoccupiedterritoriestheRomancivilizationflourished–thevillaswereplentiful,thecitieswere
becominglarger,thecommercedeveloped(Londonwasthegreatestcenteroftrade).NorthofHa-
drian’sWall,inDoverandCornwall,tribalismsurvivedinitsmoreprimitiveform.Againthetopog-
raphyoftheislanddeterminedthecourseofhistory.Owingtothegeographicalandculturaldistinc-
tionbetweentheoccupiedlowlandsandunoccupiedhighlands,whentheRomanEmpirebeganto
collapseandRomansoldiersstartedtowithdraw,theregionsdestinedtobedestroyedbyGermanic
invadersweretheLatindistricts,whileelsewhereCelticculturewasdestinedtosurvive.
ThefalloftheRomanEmpirebeganinthe2
nd
halfofthe4
th
century.InBritainitwasprecipitatedby
theCelticrevival–CelticraidsonRomanterritories,bothfromIrelandandfromScotland,became
morefrequentandbolder.Inthe1
st
halfofthe5
th
centurythedefunctRomanEmpirewasnolonger
capableofprovidingsecurityformostofitscitizens,especiallyinsuchremoteoutpostsofcivilization
asBritain.ThesituationwassignificantlyexacerbatedbytherenewedAnglo-Saxonraids,which
between350and400wereparticularlysevere.
ThepaganpeoplewhoinvadedtheislandaftertheRomantroopshadleftweretheNordicpeople:
Anglo-Saxon,GermanandScandinavian.Theyspokealliedlanguages,hadthesamereligion,the
sameepicpoetrycelebratingtheirgodsandheroes(suchasBeowulf).Theyalsohadcommonart,
differentfromGrecoRomanorCeltic,andtheyobservedthesamecustomsinwarandagriculture.
Mostofthemwerefarmerssearchingforbetterlandstoplough,buttherewerealsofishermen,seal
hunters,whalers,andpiratesamongthem.TheirformofgovernmentwassuperiortotheCelts–they
werenotorganizedintribesbutinalmostfeudalsocieties.Thekinship,thenaturalbondamongthe
membersofaclanwhosupportedoneanother,gavewayintheAnglo-Saxoncommunitiestothe
personalrelationofawarriortohischief,whosepersonalvirtuesaswellashisnobledescentmade
himtheleader.ContrarytotheCelts,theAnglo-Saxonshadbothkingshipandaristocracy–their
formofgovernmentwasautocratickingship,whichisatransitionalstagebetweentribalismand
fully-fledgedfeudalism.ThemilitaryorganizationoftheAnglo-Saxonswasalsobasednotonkinship
butonpersonalattachmentandloyaltyofallthewarriorstothechiefwhoorganizedtheexpedition.
Thebonesofthesenamelesschiefsarestilldugupintheso-calledearlyAnglo-Saxongraveyards.
TherearenochroniclesofAnglo-Saxonconquestbecause,unliketheRomanizedCelts,theywereillit-
erate.WeoweourknowledgeofthatperiodtoanEnglishmonkBedewho300yearslaterdescribed
thoseremoteeventsinhisEcclesiasticalHistoryoftheEnglishPeople.TheSaxons,Anglesandthe
JutescertainlywreakedhavocintheorderlyRomanoCelticworld.TheLatinizedBritonswereslaugh-
teredorpushedawaytothemountainousareaswheretheprimitiveCelticorpre-Celtictribeshadsofar
resided.TheAnglo-SaxonspenetratedintotheinteriorofthecountrythroughtheriversandtheRoman
roads,whichonlyhastenedthepaceofconquestanddestruction.KingArthur
3
isahalfmythicalfigure
thatisbelievedtohaveledtheCeltsintobattlewiththeheathenAnglo-Saxons,butinspiteofhis
braveryandimpregnablefortsandstonewalledcities,theCeltsweredoomedtobedefeated.Thereason
forthatwasthattheBritonswerecivilizedcitizens,notwarriors,andoncetheycouldnolongerdepend
onthearmyforprotectiontheywerepracticallyhelplesswhenconfrontedbythefierceAnglo-Saxon
warriors.
TheearlyAnglo-SaxonsdifferedfromtheBritonsinmanyrespects.Forexample,theywerenotcity
dwellersliketheBritons.Theylivedinlargeruraltownshipsinloghouses,andtheytilledthesoilin
onecommonfield.TheycouldhavetakentheRomanvillasortheycouldhavesettledintheRoman
townsassoonastheyburiedthebodiesoftheirpreviousinhabitants.InsteadtheyleftRomanbuildings
andtownsemptyandwentonwiththeirwayoflife.Chester,BathandCanterburywerere-peopledin
3
KingArthuristheheroofapopularlegendabouthowheprovedhistitletothekingshipbywithdrawingtheSword
ExcaliburfromtherockinwhichithadbeenfixedbyMerlin,themagicianwholaterbecamehiscounselor.Arthur’s
courtwascalledCamelotandwasfamousforitsRoundTable.OtherlegendsconnectedwithArthurtellabouthis
wife’sGuinevere’sunfaithfulness(withLancelot)andaboutthequeststofindtheHolyGrail.
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