446 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



basis for the events which follow, the time when Picts and Saxons 

 and Scots are represented by Ammianns as having all but wrested 

 from Rome the sovereignty of Britain. The British story names the 

 Picts and Scots as assisting to maintain a British prince in indepen- 

 dence, and, without naming the Saxons, undesignedly completes the 

 confederacy as represented by Ammianus, by telling us that Octavius 

 had found refuge in, and returned from, Norway, when he esta- 

 blished his power. He bad therefore friends there, and would as- 

 suredly be accompanied by them on his return. 



During the time assigned to the reign of Octavius, the Roman 

 historians have very little to tell us of Roman transactions in Britain. 

 About a. d. 340, Constans spent a winter in Britain, and awed the 

 natives by his presence. There is no record of any active measures 

 taken by him. a. d. 353, Paulus was sent to punish those who had 

 favoured the cause of Magnentius. There is no record of the measures 

 he took. a. d. 360, Julian sent Lupicinus to oppose the Picts and 

 Scots, who were doing precisely what Ammianus says they were 

 ■doing in 364, but it does not appear that he achieved anything of im- 

 portance. 



In his old age, the British story proceeds, Octavius, having no 

 son, wished to settle the succession to the throne. Caradoc, one of 

 his chief princes, advised him to name Maximus as his successor, and 

 sent his son Mauricius to Rome to invite him to come. Mauricius 

 found Maximus disaffected towards Gratian and Valentinian, on ac- 

 count of their refusal to give him a third part of the empire. This is 

 not improbable, for the empire was divided in this very year, and the 

 •east given to Yalens. Maximus gladly accepted the invitation, and 

 came to Britain, with the consent of the emperor (says Boece), with 

 an army which he had collected on his way. There was, however, a 

 party in Britain who favoured the claims of Conan, Octavius' nephew ; 

 and Octavius, led to believe that Maximus' coming with so large a force 

 was hostile, commanded Conan to oppose him with all the forces of 

 Britain. Several conflicts ensued ; Maximus was victorious ; Conan 

 retired to Caledonia, raised a fresh army of Picts, Scots, and others 

 •collected from all quarters, passed the Humber, and was again de- 

 feated. Octavius now acknowledged Maximus his successor, and gave 

 him the hand of his daughter in marriage. 



A year probably must be allowed between these events and the 

 renewal of the war. Conan fled to Scandinavia, recruited his forces 

 there, invaded South Britain, and continued the war for three years, 

 (a. d. 365 to 368). Probably Maximus found himself unequal to the 

 struggle, and his demands for assistance from Rome procured the ap- 

 pointment of Theodosius, the working of whose plans to break the 

 •confederacy we now begin to discern in this story. 



The Scots, it is said, had suffered much in this war, and desired 

 peace, but without prejudice to their allies. The Britons who fa- 

 voured Conan's pretensions, afraid of being abandoned, made peace 

 also, and Conan agreed to make common cause with Maximus. Here 



