Ambrosius Aurelianus facts for kids

Emrys Wledig. An old drawing from a 15th-century Welsh book about the history of British kings.

Ambrosius Aurelianus (called Emrys Wledig in Welsh) was a very important war leader in ancient Britain. He lived in the 5th century, a time when the Anglo-Saxons were invading Britain. According to an old writer named Gildas, Ambrosius won a big battle against the Saxons.

People also told many stories about him. In some legends, he was a young prophet who met a powerful ruler named Vortigern. Later, he even became known as the famous wizard Merlin in some tales! He was also said to be the uncle of the legendary King Arthur and the brother of Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon.

Ambrosius Aurelianus: The Roman-British War Leader

Ambrosius Aurelianus is one of the few people Gildas wrote about by name in his book De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae. This book is the oldest surviving British document from the time after the Romans left Britain, often called the Arthurian period.

Gildas tells us a few things about Ambrosius:

• He was likely from a noble family.
• He was probably a Christian, as Gildas said he won battles "with God's help."
• His parents were killed by the Saxons. Ambrosius was one of the few who survived the first Saxon attacks.

According to Gildas, Ambrosius gathered the survivors and formed an army. He led them to the first military victory against the Saxon invaders. However, this victory didn't end the fighting. Gildas wrote that "Sometimes the Saxons and sometimes the citizens [the Romano-British people] were victorious." Because of his role, Ambrosius is sometimes called the Last of the Romans. This means he was seen as a final defender of Roman ways in Britain.

What Historians Wonder About Ambrosius

Historians have a few questions about what Gildas wrote.

• Gildas mentioned that Ambrosius's family "had worn the purple." This could mean they were very important Roman officials or military leaders, as purple clothes were a sign of high rank in the Roman Empire. It might also mean they were Christian martyrs or bishops.
• Another question is about the word avita, which Gildas used. It could mean "ancestors" or more specifically "grandfather." This would help us guess if Ambrosius lived a generation before the famous Battle of Badon.

Historians like N. J. Higham suggest that Gildas wrote about Ambrosius as an example for leaders of his own time. Gildas wanted to show that British leaders could only win with God's help, and only if they were good Christians. Ambrosius was shown as a model leader with great virtues. Gildas also highlighted Ambrosius's Roman background to connect him with the strong, lawful ways of the Romans.

Ambrosius According to Other Writers

Other old texts also mention Ambrosius Aurelianus, sometimes with different details.

Bede's Account

Bede, another important historian, wrote about Ambrosius in his Ecclesiastical History of the English People. He mostly followed Gildas's story. Bede said Ambrosius's victory happened during the time of Emperor Zeno (474–491 AD). Bede didn't mention Ambrosius's descendants or any problems with them.

Nennius's Stories

The Historia Brittonum, a book often linked to Nennius, has several stories about Ambrosius. This book was written between the 9th and 11th centuries.

• It says that Vortigern was afraid of Ambrosius, showing how powerful Ambrosius was.
• The most famous story is about Ambrosius, Vortigern, and two dragons under Dinas Emrys. In this tale, Ambrosius is a young boy with special powers. He tells Vortigern about the dragons, and Vortigern gives him the castle of Dinas Emrys and lands in western Britain. This story later helped create the legend of Merlin.
• The book also calls Ambrosius Aurelianus "king among all the kings of the British nation." It mentions that Ambrosius gave Vortigern's son, Pascent, control over some regions.
• Another part talks about a battle between Ambrosius and Vitalinus, which happened 12 years after Vortigern became ruler.

It's not clear if all these stories are about the same Ambrosius, as the details sometimes differ.

William of Malmesbury's View

William of Malmesbury wrote Gesta Regum Anglorum (Deeds of the Kings of the English). He tried to combine the stories from Gildas, Bede, and Nennius. He was probably the first to connect Ambrosius with King Arthur. William showed Ambrosius as the king of the Britons, and Arthur as his most important general and the true winner of the Battle of Badon.

Geoffrey of Monmouth's Version

Geoffrey of Monmouth wrote Historia Regum Britanniae, a very popular but fictionalized history. He called him Aurelius Ambrosius and said he was the son of a king named Constantine.

• In Geoffrey's story, Ambrosius and his younger brother, Uther Pendragon, had to flee to Brittany when they were young after their older brother was killed.
• Later, they returned with a large army, defeated Vortigern, and became friends with Merlin.
• Ambrosius then defeated the Saxon leader Hengist in two battles and became king of Britain.
• However, Ambrosius was poisoned by his enemies, and Uther became king after him.

Geoffrey's book mixes facts with made-up stories. He changed the name "Aurelianus" to "Aurelius," which was a Roman family name. He also combined the story of Emrys and the dragons with Merlin, making Merlin a key character. Geoffrey gave Ambrosius's magical powers to Merlin and made Uther and Arthur the main warrior kings.

Geoffrey's timeline for Ambrosius's life doesn't always match what Gildas and Nennius wrote. For example, he says Ambrosius was very young in the 460s, but other accounts show him as an adult war leader around that time.

After his victories, Geoffrey says Ambrosius ordered a memorial for fallen nobles. This led to the creation of the "Giants' Ring," which many people believe is Stonehenge.

Ambrosius in Other Texts and Legends

• In Welsh legends, Ambrosius is known as Emrys Wledig. "Wledig" is a title for powerful royal and military leaders.
• In Robert de Boron's Merlin, Ambrosius is called Pendragon, and his younger brother Uther takes the name Utherpendragon after Ambrosius's death.

Possible Connections to Other Figures

Some historians have suggested that Ambrosius might be the same person as Riothamus, a British leader who fought a big battle in France around 470 AD.

Place Names Linked to Ambrosius

The town name Amesbury in Wiltshire, England, might have come from Ambrosius's name. Some think Amesbury could have been his main base in the late 5th century.

Ambrosius in Modern Stories

Ambrosius Aurelianus appears in many modern books and films, often as a wise leader or a powerful general.

• In Stephen Baxter's novel Coalescent, he is a general who helps a character named Artorius.
• In Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon, he is an aging High King of Britain.
• Alfred Duggan's Conscience of the King shows him as a Romano-British general fighting the Saxons.
• In Stephen R. Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle, he is poisoned and succeeded by his brother Uther.
• Valerio Massimo Manfredi's The Last Legion features him as a loyal Roman protecting a young emperor.
• Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave portrays him as Merlin's father and a great king.
• In Rosemary Sutcliff's The Lantern Bearers, he trains his army with Roman techniques, and his nephew Artos (Arthur) leads his cavalry.
• In the TV show Stargate SG-1, Ambrosius and Arthur are the same person, and Merlin is an ancient being.

See also

In Spanish: Ambrosio Aureliano para niños