164:
accepts the decision and returns to Frisia. There he recruits another army to invade the lands west of his former homeland, roughly modern
Hampshire and Dorset (495 CE per the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle). During the voyage, he overhears his wife plotting his assassination and throws her overboard; the rest of the book covers his long and ultimately successful battle to establish the Kingdom of Wessex and his own dynasty. It ends with him musing that if the Christian faith in which he was brought up is true, he will spend certainly eternity in Hell but 'it was fun while it lasted.'
127:
the Regni, a territory in southern
England roughly equivalent to modern East and West Sussex. Although raised as a Roman, his paternal grandfather was closely related to a Germanic ruler given land in Southern Britain around 370 CE in return for military service. This was common practice in the late Roman Empire and means he is at home in both cultures.
163:
Unfortunately, Cerdic is recognised by one of the defenders and banished by Aella for his role in the deaths of his brothers and father, for which he would be punished by the gods and better not to be around when it happens. He views this as an excuse used by Aella to get rid of a dangerous rival but
143:
The first part of the book covers Cerdic's life as a Romano-British noble; he is a generally loyal supporter of his father but frustrated by his lack of independence. This ends in his mid-20s when he murders his eldest brother
Constans in a dispute over loot and has to flee. He passes himself off as
126:
The story begins with Cerdic's birth in 451 CE, ending shortly before his death in 534 CE. Britain now consists of small states battling each other while also fighting off Danes, Irish, Picts, Jutes, Angles and Saxons. Cerdic (whose Roman name is
Coroticus) is the youngest son of Eleutherus, King of
130:
The novel purports to be Cerdic's personal memoir and essentially fictional, although certain characters and events are found in the historical record. He plans to deposit the manuscript in a ruined church, which means it will not be read for centuries and he can be completely honest. Cerdic feels
245:
view of Post-Roman
Britain was driven by a reliance on the limited written sources cited above. The novel's portrayal of this period as far more complex has been confirmed by archaeological discoveries in the last 30 years and reassessment of the historical evidence. As he was writing in the late
189:). Duggan has a great ability to convey different perspectives and the novel contains clues suggesting it can be seen as reversion, not just decay. For example, 'Regni' was the name of the pre-Roman British tribe who lived in the same area, while 'Coroticus' is often interpreted as a variation of
261:
or heavy cavalry who fight for the surviving Roman-British kingdoms. Their impact is huge compared to numbers but they require horses large enough to carry an armoured man; when the horses die out, this strategic advantage disappears. Duggan's approach was the basis for the plot of the 2004 film
222:, all written centuries later and subject to selective editing. It is generally agreed that the number of references mean Cerdic was a real and important historical figure but we know very little else. This is also true of other historical characters referenced in the book like Aella,
135:
and does not hesitate to remove anyone else who stands in his way, including family members. This ruthlessness is a quality shared by others, including his brother and wife. He recognizes and values honour and loyalty in people such as the Romano-British leader
253:, a character whose historical existence is still debated. Unlike Ambrosius Aurelianus, Artorios is a minor character who never appears directly but Duggan provides a rare perspective of this figure from the Saxon side. Here he is a former soldier from
36:
201:
ends with the Roman protagonist concluding most
Britons had a better life without 'Roman civilisation,' which was confirmed by a 2014 study showing average life-span actually increased in Post-Roman Britain due to better diet. Similarly, in
172:
Cerdic's desire for independence is a recurring theme in Duggan's work, as is what happens when one form of society is replaced by another. Here it is Roman
Britain, elsewhere the Roman Republic becoming an Empire
425:
420:
152:, marries and has a son, Cynric. He persuades Aella to invade his father's kingdom and after several years, they storm the capital of
415:
430:
246:
1940s, this is a considerable achievement and the book builds logical and realistic scenarios based on the few facts available.
435:
388:
363:
302:
410:
339:
242:
20:
318:
Fleming, Robin (2014). "Who Was Buried in
England's Fifth- and Early Sixth-Century 'Anglo-Saxon' Cemeteries?".
264:
258:
110:
206:
Cerdic regrets the dirt and squalor of Saxon life but feels the freedom he gained more than compensates.
157:
235:
219:
137:
197:
100:
215:
63:
384:
359:
298:
231:
149:
95:
294:
254:
132:
115:
91:
41:
404:
287:
105:
87:
53:
35:
156:
and slaughter the inhabitants, including his father and second brother Paul; the
250:
268:, cited in its publicity as being based on 'the latest historical research.'
223:
214:
The main sources for Cerdic himself are from the Anglo-Saxon
Chronicle, the
190:
153:
227:
148:
in the modern
Netherlands. He becomes chief advisor to the Saxon leader
334:
381:
Arthur and the Kings of Britain: The Historical Truth Behind the Myths
144:
a Saxon, concealing his real name and background and makes his way to
193:
the British chief who led opposition to the Roman invasion of 43 CE.
145:
140:
and this makes him an interesting, multi-dimensional character.
114:(1962) concerns one of Cerdic's most famous descendants,
289:
The End of Empire: Attila the Hun & the Fall of Rome
181:) or the Byzantine Empire giving way to the Crusaders (
19:
For the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, see
69:
59:
49:
286:
98:. It begins 40 years after the events covered in
86:(1951) is an historical novel by British author
8:
28:
104:(also 1951), set during the last years of
34:
27:
277:
293:. W. W. Norton & Company. p.
7:
249:A good example is the treatment of
14:
426:Novels set in Anglo-Saxon England
108:from 406-410 CE. His later novel
131:true affection only for his son
421:Novels set in sub-Roman Britain
333:Mark, Joshua (December 2014).
1:
257:leading a band of mercenary
285:Kelly, Christopher (2009).
452:
340:World History Encyclopedia
21:The Conscience of the King
18:
33:
416:Modern Arthurian fiction
320:AAAS 2014 Annual Meeting
436:Faber & Faber books
431:Novels by Alfred Duggan
383:. Amberley Publishing.
379:Russell, Miles (2017).
354:Fleming, Robin (2011).
168:Relation to other works
29:Conscience of the King
204:Conscience of the King
160:dates this to 491 CE.
83:Conscience of the King
210:Historical background
158:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
90:based on the life of
40:First edition (publ.
16:Book by Alfred Duggan
220:Geoffrey of Monmouth
138:Ambrosius Aurelianus
111:The King of Athelney
411:1951 British novels
198:The Little Emperors
183:The Lady for Ransom
101:The Little Emperors
30:
356:Britain After Rome
255:the Byzantine army
251:Arthur or Artorios
216:Historia Brittonum
64:Historical fiction
96:Kingdom of Wessex
94:, founder of the
79:
78:
42:Faber & Faber
443:
395:
394:
376:
370:
369:
351:
345:
344:
330:
324:
323:
315:
309:
308:
292:
282:
241:The traditional
179:Winters Quarters
116:Alfred the Great
71:Publication date
38:
31:
451:
450:
446:
445:
444:
442:
441:
440:
401:
400:
399:
398:
391:
378:
377:
373:
366:
353:
352:
348:
332:
331:
327:
317:
316:
312:
305:
284:
283:
279:
274:
212:
175:Three's Company
170:
124:
72:
45:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
449:
447:
439:
438:
433:
428:
423:
418:
413:
403:
402:
397:
396:
389:
371:
364:
346:
325:
310:
303:
276:
275:
273:
270:
259:cataphractarii
211:
208:
187:Count Bohemund
169:
166:
123:
120:
92:Cerdic Elesing
77:
76:
73:
70:
67:
66:
61:
57:
56:
51:
47:
46:
39:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
448:
437:
434:
432:
429:
427:
424:
422:
419:
417:
414:
412:
409:
408:
406:
392:
386:
382:
375:
372:
367:
361:
357:
350:
347:
342:
341:
336:
329:
326:
321:
314:
311:
306:
300:
296:
291:
290:
281:
278:
271:
269:
267:
266:
260:
256:
252:
247:
244:
239:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
209:
207:
205:
200:
199:
194:
192:
188:
184:
180:
176:
167:
165:
161:
159:
155:
151:
147:
141:
139:
134:
128:
121:
119:
117:
113:
112:
107:
106:Roman Britain
103:
102:
97:
93:
89:
88:Alfred Duggan
85:
84:
74:
68:
65:
62:
58:
55:
54:Alfred Duggan
52:
48:
43:
37:
32:
26:
22:
380:
374:
355:
349:
338:
328:
322:(Symposium).
319:
313:
288:
280:
263:
248:
240:
213:
203:
196:
195:
186:
182:
178:
174:
171:
162:
142:
129:
125:
109:
99:
82:
81:
80:
25:
358:. Penguin.
265:King Arthur
405:Categories
390:1445662744
365:014014823X
304:0393061965
272:Footnotes
243:Dark Ages
236:Ambrosius
224:Vortigern
191:Caratacus
335:"Cerdic"
228:Vortimer
154:Anderida
232:Hengist
387:
362:
301:
297:ibid.
146:Frisia
133:Cynric
50:Author
150:Aella
60:Genre
385:ISBN
360:ISBN
299:ISBN
234:and
218:and
122:Plot
75:1951
407::
337:.
295:48
238:.
230:,
226:,
185:,
177:,
118:.
393:.
368:.
343:.
307:.
173:(
44:)
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
