The English and the Celts - no genocide?

[ambrosius]

Hi Authun,

Then you get cities in the West, like Ilchester, which still show evidence of importing Byzantine coins and Tintagel-ware pottery (most likely through the still British controlled harbours of Tintagel, Bantham etc) into the 520s, but not as late as 550 AD.

This may be due to the Justianian plague. Procopius' description is informative, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/5 ... lague.html

It may have affected the western parts more severely than we think. The irish annals do refer to a 'great mortality'. It may be the point at which the last ties with the roman world were severed.

Oh sure; apparent ending of imports from Byzantium between 520 &
550 ish may indeed be due to the plague. And this might in some way
go towards explaining any depopulation of the Romanized Britons in
the West and/or abandonment of cities which had previously been in
receipts of Byzantine imports. However, it does nothing to explain the
abandonment of British cities in the East, though. 8) From Canterbury
and Colchester (apparently abandoned about the time of the Adventus
Saxonum (c. 450) to St. Albans and Silchester (abandoned c. 500 ish)
we have cities which, as far as archaeological evidence goes, were
not in receipt of Byzantine imports. Yet they were abandoned. And over
a rolling-period of 450-500 which predated the Justinian plague. :wink:
So I don't see the Justinan plague as explaining the abandonment of
Eastern cities, only possibly the ones in the West which were in receipt
of said imports. Though I still think they were abandoned for the same
reason as the Eastern ones. That is, the reason Gildas gives us.

The germanic speakers in the east were unaffected by the plague but may have received a fresh wave of immigration from Scandinavia caused by drought and cold. Merowingian mercenaries too may have come to take advantage of the situation and/or flee the plague which was affecting southern Gaul. Hence, in the latter half of the 6th cent. we see renewed attacks on the weakened romano british population in the west.

Absulutely, Harry. I'm with you there! 8)

Cheers,

Ambrosius / Mike