by Bill Cooper
INTRODUCTION
We saw in Part 2 of The Early History of Man 1 that the pagan kings of the ancient Britons traced their own descent back to Noah through Japheth, thus strongly enhancing the Biblical account of the Table of Nations (Genesis 10 and 11.) 2 A simple genealogy, compiled from both Nennius's Historia Brittonum (IX century AD) and from Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae (XII century AD,) demonstrated that descent. However, it is important that that genealogy now be tested for historical reliability, and we are going to test some of its credentials here by reconstructing the chronology of these kings. This, to my knowledge, has never been successfully attempted before, and this lack of success, or even effort on the part of previous scholars, has led to the denigration and eventual dismissal of this valuable record. And that, in turn, has cost us dear.
Previous attempts to compile the chronology of the ancient British kings have invariably ended with the scholars concerned giving it all up as a bad job. But most of these attempts were made by men who had already convinced themselves that the task would be hopeless. Even those rare scholars who thought that Geoffrey of Monmouth deserved more serious consideration than he currently receives, were easily dissuaded from the task. Witness Thorpe:
"Accustomed as he is to precise dates, the modern reader will wonder occasionally just where he is in time. In what year did Bladud have his flying accident? When exactly did Leir die? When did Utherpendragon see the great star? Geoffrey gives only three dates: the death of Lucius occurred in AD 156, the abdication of Arthur in AD 542, and the death of Cadwallader in AD 689. He has, however, a series of synchronisms....by which he is at pains to reassure his readers and add verisimilitude to his story.... (but) some of these synchronisms leave us more confused than if we had not read them." 3
Worse, two of Geoffrey's given dates are demonstrably wrong! Lucius did not die in AD 156, and that is usually enough to convince the modernist investigator that Geoffery was telling stories. However, the date AD 156 crops up elsewhere with regard to King Lucius, namely in Bede's Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (AD 751):
"In the year of our Lord's Incarnation 156, Marcus Antoninus Verus, fourteenth from Augustus, became emperor jointly with his brother Aurelius Commodorus. During their reign, and while the holy Eleutherus ruled the Roman Church, Lucius, a British king, sent him a letter, asking to be made a Christian by his direction." 4
Pope Eleutherus, we learn from the Annuario Pontifico, did not lord it over the flock until the year AD 175 - 189, and so Geoffrey's date for the death of Lucius (that is, AD 156) is wrong by twenty or thirty years or so. Did Geoffrey misread Bede in his attempt to date the events mentioned in the source-book he was translating from British into Latin? Or was the source-book itself in error? It is more likely that Geoffrey, in whichever book the misreading occurred, mistook 156 for the year 186. It is easy to mistake a 5 for an 8 even with the clear print of today. We must also remember that when Bede gives the date 156, he does not do so in any direct connection with Lucius, but with reference to the beginning of the joint rule of the empire by Antoninus and Commodius. It is within the more general framework of the joint reign of these two emperors that Lucius is introduced into the narrative. More importantly, however, Geoffrey's mistake is one of which we are aware, and moreover it is one that can be easily sorted out.
The same goes for the second wrong date that Geoffrey provides. He tells us that the British king Cadwallader, died in the year AD 689. Cadwallader however, actually reigned from AD 654 - 664. What Geoffrey (or rather his source-book?) has done is to mistake the British Cadwallader for the Saxon king of Wessex named Caedwalla who did indeed die (at Rome) in the year AD 689! So, in our reconstruction of the British chronology, we shall assign to Cadwallader the true dates of his reign and not that given by Geoffrey for his death. But again, the error is something that we know about and can easily sort out, so the reluctance of previous scholars to seriously grapple with these problems becomes more puzzling as we progress.
Thorpe complains that Geoffrey of Monmouth provides too few clues for dating purposes, and that even those that he does provide only serve to confuse us. Upon examination of Geoffrey's Historia, however, we find that Thorpe was quite mistaken. The Historia is rich in clues compared to many other of these early accounts, and far from confusing us, they actually help us to build a most erudite picture.
Let us begin with Brutus, the very first king of the Britons and from whom the Britons derived their name. Geoffrey tells us in Book 1, chapter 18 of his Historia, that Brutus was born two or three generations after the Trojan Wars. The Trojan Wars having occurred around 1240 BC, that would place his birth in about the middle of the XII century, say around 1150 BC. Moreover, Geoffrey goes on to tell us that Brutus reigned as king for 23 years, and further, that he ruled Britain at the time that Eli was judge in Israel. We know that Eli judged Israel between the years 1115 - 1075 BC. Thus, we are given two synchronisms, not one, and both of these confirm each other, thus allowing us to date the reign of Brutus with much confidence. No cause for complaint there!
Following Brutus's reign, we are told that his son Locrinus ruled for 10 years, and that his, Locrinus's, widow, Queen Gwendolen, ruled after him for 15 years at the time when Samuel judged Israel (Book 2, chapter 6.) We know that Samuel judged Israel for the forty year period between 1075 - 1035 BC, and thus Geoffrey's synchronisms begin to take on an unexpected, and hitherto uncredited, aura of respectability.
Gwendolen abdicated in favour of her son, Maddan, and he went on to rule for 40 years after her. Then his son, Mempricius, ruled for 20 years, and his reign, we are told, roughly coincided with that of Saul (Book 2.6.) Saul was king in Israel between 1030 - 1010 BC.
Likewise Mempricius was succeeded by his son, Ebraucus. Ebraucus reigned for 39 years, and we are told that his reign corresponded roughly in time with that of David of Israel (Book 2.7.) Again, we know that David ruled from 1010 - 970 BC.
Table 1. The Chronology of the early British kings. (Bryt) Brutus ................... 23yrs ..c.1104 - 1O81BC (Lloegr) Locrinus ................. 10yrs ..c.1081 - 1871BC Gwendolen (Oueen) ........ 15yrs ..c.1071 - 1058BC Maddan ................... 48yrs ..c.1056 - 1016BC Mempriclus ............... 2Oyrs ..c.1016 - 996BC Ebraucus ................. 39yrs ..c. 906 - 957BC Brutus Greenshield ....... 12yrs ..c. 957 - 945BC Leil ..................... 25yrs ..c. 945 - 920BC Hudibras ................. 39yrs ..c. 920 - 881BC Bladud ................... 20yrs ..c. 881 - 861BC (Llyr) Leir ..................... 60yrs ..c. 861 - 801BC (Creiddylad) Cordelia (Oueen) ......... 5yrs ..c. 801 - 796BC Marganus I ............... 2yrs ..c. 796 - 794BC **ruled Cunedagius ............... 35yrs ..c. 796 - 761BC *jointly RivaIlo .............. c. 18yrs ..c. 761 - 743BC Gurgustius ........... c. 20yrs ..c. 743 - 723BC Sisillius I .......... c. 20yrs ..c. 723 - 703BC Iago ................. c. 2Oyrs ..c. 703 - 683BC Kimarcus ............. c. 20yrs ..c. 683 - 663BC Gorboduc ............. c. 20yrs ..c. 683 - 663BC Civil war period ..... c. 203yrs ..c. 643 - 400BC Pinner ............... c. 10yrs ..c. 440 - 430BC Cloten ............... c. 10yrs ..c. 430 - 420BC Dunvallo Moimutius ....... 40yrs ..c. 420 - 380BC Belinus ............. c. 6yrs ..c. 380 - 374BC Gurguit ............. c. 5yrs ..c. 374 - 369BC Guithelin ........... c. 6yrs ..c. 369 - 363BC Marcia (Q. and Wid.). c. 11yrs ..c. 369 - 358BC Sisillius II ........ c. 8yrs ..c. 358 - 352BC Kinarius ............ c. 5yrs ..c. 352 - 347BC Danius .............. c. 6yrs ..c. 347 - 341BC Morvidus ............ c. 5yrs ..c. 341 - 336BC Gorbonianus ......... c. 6yrs ..c. 336 - 330BC Archgallo ........... c. 4yrs ..c. 33O - 326BC (deposed (Elidyr) Elidurus ............ c. 5yrs ..c. 326 - 321BC (abdica. Archgallo ................ 10yrs ..c. 321 - 311BC (restor. retook crown) Elidurus ............ c. 5yrs ..c. 311 - 306BC (deposed Ingenius .................. 7yrs ..c. 306 - 299BC **ruled (Peredyr) Peredurus ........... c. 10yrs ..c. 3O6 - 296BC *jointly retook crown) Elidurus .................. 5yrs ..c. 296 - 291BC (restor) Son of Gorbonianus .. c. 2yrs ..c. 291 - 289BC Marganus II ......... c. 5yrs ..c. 289 - 284BC Enniaunus ................. 6yrs ..c. 284 - 278BC Idvallo ............. c. 5yrs ..c. 278 - 273BC Runo ................ c. 6yrs ..c. 273 - 267BC Gerennus............. c. 5yrs ..c. 267 - 262BC Catellus ............ c. 6yrs ..c. 262 - 256BC Millus .............. c. 5yrs ..c. 256 - 251BC Porrex .............. c. 6yrs ..c. 251 - 245BC Cherin .............. c. 5yrs ..c. 245 - 240BC Fulgenius ........... c. 6yrs ..c. 24O - 234BC Edadus .............. c. 5yrs ..c. 234 - 229BC Andragius ........... c. 6yrs ..c. 229 - 223BC Urianus ............. c. 5yrs ..c. 223 - 218BC Eliud ............... c. 6yrs ..c. 218 - 212BC Cledaucus ........... c. 5yrs ..c. 212 - 207BC Clotenus ............ c. 6yrs ..c. 207 - 201BC Gurgintius .......... c. 5yrs ..c. 201 - 196BC Merianus ............ c. 6yrs ..c. 196 - 190BC Bledudo ............. c. 5yrs ..c. 190 - 185BC Cap ................. c. 6yrs ..c. 185 - 179BC Oenus ............... c. 5yrs ..c. 179 - 174BC Sisillius III ....... c. 6yrs ..c. 174 - 168BC Beldgabred .......... c. 5yrs ..c. 168 - 163BC Archmail .............c. 6yrs ..c. 163 - 157BC Eidol ................c. 5yrs ..c. 157 - 152BC Redon ................c. 6yrs ..c. 152 - 146BC Redechius ............c. 5yrs ..c. 146 - 141BC Samuil ...............c. 6yrs ..c. 141 - 135BC Penessil .............c. 5yrs ..c. 135 - 130BC Pir ..................c. 6yrs ..c. 130 - 124BC Capoir ...............c. 5yrs ..c. 124 - 119BC Digueillius ..........c. 6yrs ..c. 119 - 113BC Heli ..................... 40yrs ..c. 113 - 73BC (Llud) Lud ..................c. 15yrs ..c. 73 - 58BC (Caswallon) Cassivelaunus ........c. 20yrs ..c. 58 - 38BC (Tasciovanus) Tenvantius ...........c. 20yrs ..c. 38 - 18BC (Cunobelinus) Cymbeline ............c. 3Oyrs ..c. 18 - 12AD Guiderius ............c. 31yrs ..c. 12 - 43AD Arvirargus ...........c. 14yrs ..c. 43 - 57AD Marius ...............c. 40yrs ..c. 57 - 97AD Coilus ...............c. 40yrs ..c. 97 - 137AD Lucius ...............c. 59yrs ..c. 137 - 186AD Geta .................c. 35yrs ..c. 186 - 221AD Bassianus ............c. 35yrs ..c. 221 - 256AD Caruasius ............c. 40yrs ..c. 256 - 296AD Asclepiodotus ............ 10yrs ..c. 296 - 306AD Coel .................c. 3yrs ..c. 306 - 309AD Constantius ..........c. 3yrs ..c. 309 - 312AD Constantine I ........... 25yrs .... 312 - 337AD (usurper) Octavius .............c. 5yrs ..c. 330 - 335AD (deposed Octavius .............c. 13yrs ..c. 335 - 348AD (restor) Maximianus ...........c. 14yrs ..c. 348 - 362AD Caradocus ............c. 13yrs ..c. 362 - 375AD Dionotus .............c. 14yrs ..c. 375 - 389AD Gracianus ............c. 13yrs ..c. 389 - 402AD Constantine II .......c. 18yrs ..c. 402 - 420AD Constans .............c. 17yrs ..c. 420 - 437AD Vortigern ............c. 18yrs ..c. 437 - 455AD (deposed (Guorthemer) Vortimer .............c. 5yrs ..c. 455 - 460AD Vortigern ............c. 20yrs ..c. 460 - 480AD (restor) Aurellus Ambrosius ...c. 21yrs ..c. 480 - 501AD Uther Pendragon ......c. 20yrs ..c. 501 - 521AD Arthur ...............c. 21yrs ..c. 521 - 542AD Constantine III .......... 4yrs ..c. 542 - 546AD Aurellius Conanus ........ 3yrs ..c. 546 - 549AD Vortiporius ..........c. 1yr ..c. 549 - 550AD (Maelgwn) Malgo ................c. 5yrs ..c. 550 - 555AD Keredic ..............c. 8yrs ..c. 555 - 563AD 3 unnamed kings ......c. 53yrs ..c. 563 - 616AD Cadvan ................... 9yrs .... 616 - 625AD Cadwallo ................. 8yrs .... 625 - 633AD Cadwallader ............. 10yrs .... 633 - 643AD (plague Court fled to Brittany .. 11yrs .... 643 - 654AD & famine (restored) Cadwallader ............. 10yrs .... 654 - 664AD Yvor ................ c. 39yrs .... 664 - 703AD **ruled Yni ................. c. 40yrs .... 604 - 704AD *jointly Note: Between 1104 BC and AD 704, there are 1808 years. If we subtract from this the 203 years of civil war then we have 1605 years. From this, if we deduct the 11 years of Cadwallader's absence when he fled abroad, and a total of 31 years for joint rules, then we have 1563 years. In that time there was a total of 114 consecutive reigns. Thus, if we divide 1563 by 114, then we are given 13.71, say 14 years, as the average length of reign for the kings of the ancient Britons. This compares with an average reign of 16.5 years among the Saxon kings of the house of Wessex, and 22.5 years among the English kings and queens since the Norman Conquest. (The above reigns are in strict chronological order. That does not always necessarily agree with their genealogical order.)
Table 1. The Chronology of the early British kings.
The next two kings of the Britons were Brutus Greenshield and Leil who ruled for 12 and 25 years respectively, and their reigns, Geoffrey tells us, coincided roughly in time with that of Solomon who ruled between the years 970-930 BC.
Hudibras and Bladud, the next kings of the Britons, ruled for 39 and 20 years respectively when Elijah prophesied in Israel (Historia, Book 2.10.) We know that Elijah was active during the reign of king Ahab, and that Ahab was king of Israel between 874 - 853 BC. (The chronology in Table 1 gives these two reigns as running from c.920 - 86l BC.)
Cunedagius, who ruled for 35 years (2 of them jointly with Marganus I,) reigned during the time of Isaiah according to Geoffrey (Book 2.15,) and we know that Isaiah was active between 740 - 70l BC. Now, referring to the chronology in Table 1 where we have followed Geoffrey exactly, we see that his particular synchronism of Geoffrey's is about 20 years out by modern reckoning. But, and as anyone who has ever worked on ancient chronologies will tell you, that is not a bad error for this period! Geoffrey, I think, can be forgiven such a trivial margin of error, especially as he enjoyed neither the benefits nor the amenities of modern research, and so far, other than the much-lamented unreliability so readily laid at Geoffrey's door these days, we see he shows surprising accuracy and consistency in his dates!
Hereafter, and without synchronisms of any description, we are given, out of a total of 61 kings, the lengths of reign enjoyed by only five. Dunvallo Molmutius reigned for 40 years (2.15); Archgallo reigned during his second term as king for 10 years: Ingenius reigned 7 years (3.9): Enniaunus ruled for 6 years (3.9) and Heli ruled 40 years (3.9).
It is not until Book 4 of the Historia that we come to our next synchronism, that of Cassivelaunus who resisted Julius Caesar's invasions of 55 and 54 BC (4.1-10.)
Thereafter, we read that Guiderius and Arvirargus resisted the Claudian invasion of AD 44 (Guiderius was killed during that invasion, Book 4.l2- 15,) and that Vesparsian (AD 69-79) was emperor of Rome when Marius ruled Britain (4.16).
Lucius, as we have already seen, must have been alive at least after AD 75, and our chronology allows him a reign of 59 years from AD 137 - 186.
The death of Arthur we can allow to stand as having occurred in AD 542, as this fits in very comfortably with the rest of the chronology, and the reign of Cadwallader we have already corrected to its true dates. In all, we are given sufficient information in Geoffrey's Historia to compile the chronology that appears in Table 1. We obviously cannot be certain about he lengths of reign or even the precise dates of every king. That is ever possible in these early lists. Rather, the number of years of any given time-gap is divided up among the number of kings who reigned in that period, and each king is allotted an equal portion for his reign. This is an entirely legitimate exercise in perfect accord with accepted historical method.
For example, between Marganus II, who began to rule c. 289 BC, and Digueillus, whose reign ended c. 113 BC, there reigned 32 kings within a period of 176 years. That gives an average reign of 5.5 years for each king within this period. For convenience's sake, therefore Marganus II is allotted a reign of 5 years, and his successor Enniaunus is given 6 years. Enniaunus's successor is allotted 5 years, and his successor in turn is given 6, and so on. Now obviously, we know that some of these kings would have reigned for only a year or so, while others would have reigned for decades, but this is the best that we can possibly hope for at this remove.
The only thing that we are left to puzzle over is what on earth Thorpe and his colleagues have been complaining about all these years! What appears in Table 1 is an extremely comprehensive chronology, and it is, moreover, one that has been built entirely upon the information given us by Geoffrey of Monmouth. So why the reluctance to produce a perfectly feasible chronology similar to that which appears here as Table 1? Could it be that that would give Geoffrey of Monmouth (and Nennius) a credibility that would damage, rather than enhance, modern(ist) theories about our past? Could it also be that it would lend credibility to the ancient assertion that our ancestors were indeed descended from Noah as Genesis teaches? Such descent was held to be true not just by early Christians, but by the again Britons and others who lived throughout the long centuries that preceded the coming of Christ. They themselves traced through long genealogies their descent from Noah, and there can be only one reason for this remarkable occurrence. But that would not accord with today's philosophy hat would have us believe that Genesis is an insubstantial myth...
1. Cooper, W.R., 1991. The Early History of Man - Part
2. The Irish-Celtic, British and Saxon Chronicles. CEN
Tech. J., 5 (1):2-28. See especially pp. 8-18 and Tables 3 and 4.
2. Cooper, W.R., 1991. The Early History of Man - Part.1.
The Table of Nations. CEN Tech. J., 4:67-92.
3. Thorpe, Lewis (tr.), 1966. The History of the Kings of
Britain, Guild Publishing, London, p. 285.
4. Sherley-Price, Leo (tr), 1968. The History of the
English Church and People, Dorset Press, New York. p.42.
Bill Cooper is a student of Bible history, archaeology and paleontology. This article is reproduced by permission of the author and the editor of the Creation Ex Nihilo Technical Journal (PO Box 302, Sunnybank, Qld. AUSTRALIA 4109.)