Pre-timer
Vortimer was a legendary leader of the British against the Anglo-Saxon invasion around the middle of the 5th century .
Life
Vortimer was the eldest son of the south British "king" (title controversial) Vortigern , who called the Saxons to help as mercenaries against hostile northern peoples. The Teutons also came under the leadership of the brothers Hengest and Horsa , but soon turned against the British. If the historicity of Vortigern has been questioned (rather unjustified) by some historians, the real existence of Vortigern should be questioned all the more, since he is not mentioned in the best primary sources ( Beda Venerabilis , Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ), but only in the Historia ascribed to Nennius Brittonum shows up.
According to the portrayal of Nennius, Vortimer (called Guorthemir here) took over the leadership of the battle between the British and the Saxons after his father was driven out. In four battles he achieved significant successes. In the third battle Catigern , another son of Vortigern, fell on the British side , and Horsa on the Saxon side . According to Nennius, this fight took place at a place called Episford (Rithergabail in Old British), which the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle instead calls Agælesþrep (probably today's Aylesford ). The latter source also dates the death of Horsa to 455. The fourth battle mentioned by Nennius occurred on the British coast; the Saxons were defeated, fled on their ships and left England (for a short time). Soon afterwards, however, Vortimer died, and now Hengest and his people were able to gain a permanent foothold in Kent and neighboring areas. In Nennius Vortimer appears as a pious and brave leader of the British and, in contrast to his father, is described extremely positively.
The English historian Geoffrey von Monmouth added a few more details to the narrative of Nennius in his fanciful but historically highly unreliable Historia Regum Britanniae (1139) and lets Vortimer perish by the poison of his stepmother Rowena, the daughter of Hengist and Vortigern's wife.
literature
- David E. Thornton: Vortigern. In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Volume 56, 2004, pp. 598f.
Remarks
- ↑ Nennius, Historia Brittonum 43f.
- ↑ Nennius, Historia Brittonum 44.
- ↑ Nennius, Historia Brittonum 44.
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Pre-timer |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Guorthemir |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Son of Vortigern, British leader against the Saxons |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 4th century or 5th century |
| DATE OF DEATH | 5th century or 6th century |