Sub-Roman Britain (Cavalry etc)

[Alanus]

It was more than just being "soft". While part of the empire, Britons would not have been allowed to own military weapons nor to organize themselves or practice as units. Therefore, especially the southern Britons would have been starting from near zero, while the Saxons had a lively warrior tradition.

Undoubtedly some warrior traditions remained among them, but after four hundred years, they were probably akin to fairy tales. :oops:

There were colonies of retired veterans to draw upon--such as the controversial "sarmatian connection" community (at Ribchester?)--but we really have no idea how numerous or expert they might have been. :wink:

Hello, Ron

That's a good point. And quite frankly I wonder about the "sarmatian connection." The Iazyages were settled in the north (Ribchester? as you question) during the late 2nd century, and they had three hundred years to lose a tradition that can disappear in a mere three generations. There was, I'm more apt to believe, a "military connection" through Rusticus, the last Praefect of Gaul who influenced the Britons. His son was Saint Germanus, the militarius who became Bishop of Auxerre, and his grandsons were Saint Illtyd and John Rieth (who may have been Riothamus). There appears to be a further connection within the families of Agricola (Aircol), Marcellus (Marshell), and a probable Frank named Boia. Once again, these families lived in Dumnonia-Armorica, Siluria, and Demetia. I stand alone among many critics for proposing that Thiudebalth and his son Theodoric were also a part of this Romano-military-British faction, which also included Constantinus Aurelianus. The early pedigrees of these last two families are so fudged as to be worthless, yet your average believing historian accepts them and places Theodoric (Tewdrig) in a later century. I find it incredulous that a man known as Theodoric son of Thiudebalth could have washed up upon Siluria's shores in the 6th century. hock:

But the point I'm making is that there was enough impetus and military knowledge to form a post-Roman cavalry in Britain. If we toss that idea out, we wouldn't have this thread of discussion. If there ever was a "sarmatian connection," in all probability it came indirectly through the families mentioned above. :roll:

And last, these families (especially those of Germanus-Illtyd and Theodoric) had the big moola to stable horses and own swords worth "seventy cows."