Nennius of Britain

Nennius is a mythical prince of Britain at the time of Julius Caesar's invasions of Britain (55–54 BC). His story appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings of Britain, a work whose contents are now considered largely fictional. In Middle Welsh versions of Geoffrey's Historia he was called Nynniaw.

In Geoffrey's story, Nennius is said to have fought Caesar in personal combat and taken his sword, which he used to kill many Romans. In the Tudor and Jacobean eras he became an emblem of British patriotism.

Geoffrey's account The History gives the following account of Nennius's life: He was the third son of Heli and brother of Lud and CassibelanusRefn|Geoffrey HRB III.xx. The Anglo-Norman French chronicle Scalacronica (c. 1363) by Thomas Grey also contains an account of the Julian invasion, largely derived from Wace, though the relevant text (in the Roman History section) was never published in past extracts; the work calls the sword Crochi Amour ("Crooked Love"), though this may be a scribal error.

The Middle Welsh Brut y Brenhinedd (mid-13th century and later manuscripts) also translates the episode, expanded with Welsh-sourced material. Here Nennius is called Nynniaw or Nynnyau Lexicographer Evans gives Nyniaw.

Modern era In the Tudor period Nennius became a patriotic symbol of British independence. In the poetry collection The Mirror for Magistrates Nennius is portrayed as an "inspirational lesson for future British people to defend their country from foreign invasion". In the Parts Added to The Mirror for Magistrates, Nennius gives speech accusing Caesar of cheating by poisoning the sword-tip to deal him a shallow wound ("scarce he perced had the skin") whose venom nevertheless killed him ("my braynes it ranckle in") in fifteen days time.

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