History of the Britons (Historia Brittonum)
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Product Description
History of the Britons (Historia Brittonum) is brilliantly translated by J. A. Giles. Nennius felt that teachers were not giving their students a complete history of Briton, so he attempted to write this brief account. His account is quite thorough beginning with. "From Adam to the flood, are two thousand and forty-two years. From the flood of Abraham, nine hundred and forty-two. From Abraham to Moses, six hundred. * From Moses to Solomon, and the first building of the temple, four hundred and forty-eight. From Solomon to the rebuilding of the temple, which was under Darius, king of the Persians, six hundred and twelve years are computed. From Darius to the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius, are five hundred and forty-eight years. So that from Adam to the ministry of Christ and the fifteenth year of the emperor Tiberius, are five thousand two hundred and twenty-eight years"
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1. Nennius, the lowly minister and servant of the servants of God, by the grace of God, disciple of St. Elbotus, to all the followers to truth sendeth health. Read the first page
Front Cover | Table of Contents | Excerpt
1. Nennius, the lowly minister and servant of the servants of God, by the grace of God, disciple of St. Elbotus, to all the followers to truth sendeth health. Read the first page
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
There is considerable controversy about this work. Drawing on earlier sources (some of which are no longer available), it appears to have been compiled around the end of the Eighth Century by a Welsh monk named Nennius. The book contains (not in this order) a history of Britain, complete with genealogies back to Adam, a list of extant British cities, and a short history of Saint Patrick. Most significantly, the book contains numerous references to Vortigern, Ambrosius and Arthur.
This short book is (compared to modern books) poorly organized, and of dubious reliability. However, as a historical artifact it is quite fascinating. If you have ever read references to Nennius' work in another book, then it would be worth your wile to get ahold of the book, and read see the references in context. I enjoyed it, and think that you will too.
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have just received this book and find it to be a very strange publication - literally half the book - the first half - is not Nennius' "Historia Brittonum" but is in fact an ancient Norse poem called "Havamal". The book gives no explanation for this whatsoever. I can see no connection between the writings of a Welsh monk and the Havamal which is a Norse poem.
Furthermore, 10 pages (20 sides) in the centre of the book are blank entirely and the book is rather flimsy in construction.
I am greatly looking forward to reading the "Historia Brittonum" but would not recommend this edition and am considering sending it back.
Furthermore, 10 pages (20 sides) in the centre of the book are blank entirely and the book is rather flimsy in construction.
I am greatly looking forward to reading the "Historia Brittonum" but would not recommend this edition and am considering sending it back.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
7 reviews
42 of 44 people found the following review helpful
A Reprint of Part of a Very Old Collection of Translations
11 Feb 2002
Format:Paperback
This small paper reprint comes from a very old collection of translations that contained Gildas, Geoffrey, and Nennius with I believe a section of the Anglo Saxon Chronical. The Translation is rather poor and is from a manuscript inferior to that used for Nennius, History of the British, 1980. This manuscript unlike that used for Myres' edition does not contain the Annales Cambriae. The reason this version is the only one in circulation might be the lack of copywrite protection. Be warned this translation by Giles is not annotated in any way and is in an order not congruent with that cited in most Arthurian secondary literature--following up footnotes will be difficult. If you can get the 1980 translation from a university library or a very good public library, you can annotate this text and correct the the most glaring translation errors.
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
A fascinating historical artifact
29 Jun 2001
Format:Paperback
There is considerable controversy about this work. Drawing on earlier sources (some of which are no longer available), it appears to have been compiled around the end of the Eighth Century by a Welsh monk named Nennius. The book contains (not in this order) a history of Britain, complete with genealogies back to Adam, a list of extant British cities, and a short history of Saint Patrick. Most significantly, the book contains numerous references to Vortigern, Ambrosius and Arthur.
This short book is (compared to modern books) poorly organized, and of dubious reliability. However, as a historical artifact it is quite fascinating. If you have ever read references to Nennius' work in another book, then it would be worth your wile to get ahold of the book, and read see the references in context. I enjoyed it, and think that you will too.
27 of 31 people found the following review helpful
cheap, disgraceful, and a terrible wasted opportunity
8 Feb 2003
Format:Paperback
When J.Giles translated a number of ancient British and English historical texts in 1844, he was, I suppose, breaking new ground - although not so new as might be thought, since many of his texts were widely and long since known. But that any publisher should see fit to reprint his dated and by now thoroughly inadequate translation, is hard to believe; and that it should be the mighty Penguin, the largest British publisher of classic texts in paperback, is beyond condemnation. It is not as though newer translations were not available. These texts are absolutely fundamental to the understanding of the history of Britain, and to place this in the hands of the ordinary paperback reader, with Penguin's supposed authority behind it, in place of a new version with the insights of 160 years of scholarship behind it, is to do them a grave disservice. I really cannot understand why Penguin has been struck with such a sudden fit of cheapskatehood; or should we think of offloading any shares we have in the company?
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