Dionotus
Encyclopedia
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
. The curious thing about this king is that the Welsh chronicles, which parallel most of Monmouth's book, does not mention this king by name although Monmouth uses Latin versions of Welsh names so he could be referring to Dynod, duke of Cornwall or Anwn Dynod, Maximus' own son. He succeeded his brother, Caradocus
as ruler of the Britons and Cornwall
. The latter would probably be Conan Meriadoc another son of Caradoc of Cornwall.
Nothing is said of Dionotus until he became king under Maximus. He is first mentioned when Conan Meriadoc
, king of Brittany
sends a request to Britain for Briton women to help populate his country. Dionotus, being extremely noble and powerful, accepted the request and sent seventy-two thousand women to Gaul. The ships, however, became lost at sea and most of the women died or were captured by barbarians.
A small group of these women defied kings Wanius and Melga of the Picts
and the Huns
, who attempted to have intercourse with them. The women were slaughtered for their defiance and the kings invaded Britain from Alba
ny. Britain, due to the war led by Maximus and the tragedy at sea, was empty of all able-bodied men and women. This allowed the two kings room to destroy much of the countryside before any attempt at resisting them could be made.
Maximus finally sent a man named Gracianus Municeps
to stop the attack by the kings. He was sent in with two legions and killed many thousands of warriors before the kings fled off the island to Ireland
. Maximus died in Rome
soon after and Dionotus became the official king of the Britons. Unfortunately, before he could begin his reign, Gracianus took hold of the crown and made himself king over Dionotus. No mention of Dionotus's fate is made.
Geoffery may have created this character from the historical figure of Marcus
, a short lived Roman usurper
whose limited historical exploits are seemingly mirrored by 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...
, 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
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...
led by 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...
. The curious thing about this king is that the Welsh chronicles, which parallel most of Monmouth's book, does not mention this king by name although Monmouth uses Latin versions of Welsh names so he could be referring to Dynod, duke of Cornwall or Anwn Dynod, Maximus' own son. He succeeded his brother, Caradocus
Caradocus
In Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia regum Britanniae, a fictional account of the kings of the Britons, Caradocus was titular king of the Britons in the absence of Emperor Magnus Maximus, who had left to campaign in Gaul....
as ruler of the Britons and 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...
. The latter would probably be Conan Meriadoc another son of Caradoc of Cornwall.
Nothing is said of Dionotus until he became king under Maximus. He is first mentioned when 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...
, king of Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
sends a request to Britain for Briton women to help populate his country. Dionotus, being extremely noble and powerful, accepted the request and sent seventy-two thousand women to Gaul. The ships, however, became lost at sea and most of the women died or were captured by barbarians.
A small group of these women defied kings Wanius and Melga of the Picts
Picts
The Picts were a group of Late Iron Age and Early Mediaeval people living in what is now eastern and northern Scotland. There is an association with the distribution of brochs, place names beginning 'Pit-', for instance Pitlochry, and Pictish stones. They are recorded from before the Roman conquest...
and the Huns
Huns
The Huns were a group of nomadic people who, appearing from east of the Volga River, migrated into Europe c. AD 370 and established the vast Hunnic Empire there. Since de Guignes linked them with the Xiongnu, who had been northern neighbours of China 300 years prior to the emergence of the Huns,...
, who attempted to have intercourse with them. The women were slaughtered for their defiance and the kings invaded Britain from Alba
Alba
Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is cognate to Alba in Irish and Nalbin in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as similar words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish and Welsh also meaning Scotland.- Etymology :The term first appears in...
ny. Britain, due to the war led by Maximus and the tragedy at sea, was empty of all able-bodied men and women. This allowed the two kings room to destroy much of the countryside before any attempt at resisting them could be made.
Maximus finally sent a man named Gracianus Municeps
Gracianus Municeps
Gracianus Municeps was a legendary King of the Britons, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia regum Britanniae, a fictional account of British history...
to stop the attack by the kings. He was sent in with two legions and killed many thousands of warriors before the kings fled off the island to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Maximus died in 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...
soon after and Dionotus became the official king of the Britons. Unfortunately, before he could begin his reign, Gracianus took hold of the crown and made himself king over Dionotus. No mention of Dionotus's fate is made.
Geoffery may have created this character from the historical figure of Marcus
Marcus (usurper)
-Career:He was a soldier in Roman Britain who was proclaimed emperor by the army there some time in 406. He may have risen to power as a reaction to the increasing raids from abroad at a time when the Empire was withdrawing troops from its distant provinces like Britain to protect its heartland...
, a short lived Roman usurper
Roman usurper
Usurpers are individuals or groups of individuals who obtain and maintain the power or rights of another by force and without legal authority. Usurpation was endemic during roman imperial era, especially from the crisis of the third century onwards, when political instability became the rule.The...
whose limited historical exploits are seemingly mirrored by Dionotus'.