Macsen Wledig: a Cymric Hero (Great Greatness)

Synonyms: Magnux Maximus, Maxen Wledic
Cym: Great Greatness

Macsen Wledig is the Cymric form for the name of Magnus Maximus who, in 383 CE was proclaimed emperor in Britain by the troops under his command. A Celtiberian from Spain, he left Britain for Armorica shortly after being declared emperor and took the best of the British legions with him to oppose the rival western emperor, Gratian. That same year Gratian was slain and Maximus became sole emperor of the west. Five years later he was defeated and slain by Theodosius. In their annals both Gildas (De Excidio) and Nennius (Historia Brittonum) assert that in leading the troops away from Britain Maximus denuded the country of her protectors, leaving her at the mercy of foreign invaders (Gaels, Picts, Saxons). They also say that after defeating Gratian, instead of sending the troops home he established them in Armorica and thus was established the realm of Llydaw (Brittany) under the leadership of Cynan Meiriadawc.

Thus the first way Magnus Maximus impressed himself upon the Cymric consciousness as as the man who denuded Britain of her fighting men. He was also claimed as a descendant by many of the early Cymric dynasties as exemplified by the Valle Crucis pillar which gives the early descent of the royal house of Powys which claims descent from Seuira son of Maximi Regi. The Harleian Genealogies claim descent from Magnus Maximus for the house of Dyfed. This development seems linked to the evolution during the middle ages of Macsen's native bride. One version of this tale is given in the Mabinogion of Macsen Wledig (and is related below). An alternate version of the tale is given by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae which gives an account of the emperor's marriage in Britain, though she is un-named she is mentioned as the daughter of Octavius, dux [Ge]wissei. The tale of the marriage is then combined with the story of the colonization of Brittany by the leader of Magnus Maximus' host Cynan Meiriadog the cousin of Magnus Maximus' wife. Interestingly, Geoffrey's account differs quite markedly from the tale told in the Mabinogion version, possibly indicating that multiple traditions had arisen around Magnus Maximus and his Brythonic wife; two variants of which have survived.

According to the Mabinogion tale of Breuddwyd Macsen he was the emperor of Roma and one night, after a council of kings he retires to bed and that night he has a dream. He was journeying along a valley towards a river source. On the way he sees the tallest mountain in the world, and the fairest and most level lands that anyone had ever seen. At the mouth of the river lies a great city with a vast forterss within it. At anchor he saw a fleet of ships and one was larger and fairer that the others, linked to the land by a bridge of whalebone. A sail was hoisted and he sailed the ocean to come to the fairest island in the whole world. He sailed the island and saw marvellous realms and a rugged land which was faced by an island in the sea. There he saw a river that flowed to the sea and at the mouth of the river a castle with an open gate. Within the castle he saw a fair hall containing two auburn-haired youths playing gwyddbwyll upon a silver board. Beside a pillar in the hall he saw a hoary-headed man sitting before a golden gwyddbwyll board and carving pieces with a file from a rod of gold. Before this man sat a maiden in a chair of ruddy gold. She was the fairest maiden that he had ever seen. The maiden raised from the chair and he put his arms around her neck and they sat down together on her chair which was as roomy for them both as it had been for her alone. As he held her, his cheek against hers there came the sound of dogs chafing against their leashes, the clash of spears and the beating of spear shafts and he awoke.

He awoke and was filled with the love of the maiden he had seen. A sad man, he mounted his steed and made his way to Rome. Thus he was for a week until a page spoke to him about his changed demeanour. The wise men of Rome are brought and he tells them why he is sorrowful. They urge him to send messengers to all parts of the empire so that they may seek-out his dream. Eventually the messengers see the fleet and the castle and upon entering they meet the maiden of Macsen's dream. The maiden does not believe their tale and requests that if their tale be true the emperor should journey thence to seek her. Immidiately the messengers arrived the emperor set forth with his army. They journeyed towards Britain where he conquered the island from Beli mab Manogan and his sons, driving them into the sea. From there they journeyed to Arfon and the emperor immediately recognized the land. He went to the castle where he saw the two youths, Cynan mab Eudaf and Adeon mab Eudaf playing gwyddbwyll and he saw Eudaf mab Caradog sitting in his ivory chair carving chessmen. There he saw the maiden, hailing her. The next day she asked him for her maiden portion, which was the Island of Britain to be held by her father for her from the channel to the Irish Sea and she would have three castles made for her; the first and greatest in Arfon (which would become known as Caernarfon), the second Caerleon and the third at Caerfyrddin.

One day the emperor went to hunt at Caerfyrddin and he came so far as the top of Brefi Fawr and pitched his tent, at a place which is known as Cadeir Macsen even to this day. Then Helen (Maximus' wife and empress of Rome) bethought to construct roads between one castle and another across the island of Britain and because of this they are called the roads of Helen Lluyddawg. The emperor tarried in Britain for seven years. However, at that time the he men of Rome had a custom, that whatsoever emperor should remain in other lands more than seven years, should remain to his own overthrow, and should never return to Rome again. So they created a new emperor who wrote a letter of threat to Macsen. As a result Macsen assembled his army and set forth towards Rome and vanquished France and Burgundy and every realm on the way.

A year did Macsen camp before the city of Rome and he was no nearer taking it that on the first day. But after him came the brothers of Helen Lluyddawg and a small host with them. They were the best warriors in the world and attacked the city of Rome and using ladders they entered. Thus was Macsen re-instated as emperor of Rome. He gave Adeon and Cynan whatever portion of his realm they wished to conquer. Thus they travelled to Amorica and killed all the men but kept all the women. After this they took counsel and Adeon returned to his own realm but Cynan tarried in this new land and dwelt there. And they took counsel and cut out the tongues of the women, lest they should corrupt their speech. And because of the silence of the women from their own speech, the men of Armorica are called Britons. From that time there came frequently, and still comes, that language from the Island of Britain.

Apart from the tales mentoned above Magnus Maximus is also named in the Llyfr Coch Rhydderch version of the Triad 35 from the Trioedd Ynys Prydein which notes the army of Maxen Wledic as the 'second host that went to Llychlyn (Brittany) but did not return'. The second mention comes from Appendix II of the Trioedd Ynys Prydein (Peniarth 45 MSS) which, in the 'Descent of the Men of the North' gives the follwoing lineage: Gawran son of Aedan Fradawg son of Dyfynwal Hen son fo Ednyfed son of Maxen Wledic emperor of Rome. We also know of another reputed son of Magnus Maxinus as reported in the genealogy of St Cadog. In actuality Magnus Maximus had only one son Victor who was left with the Gauls as their emperor but was slain shortly afterwards. He was succeeded by Eugenius and it is possible that a confused version of this tale converted the name of Eugenius into the Cymric Owein.

The tale of Macsen Wledig is probably an attempt by the original cyfarwydd who composed it to bring together a renowned ancestress (Elen Lluyddawg) who might originally have been a goddess with the ancestor figure of Magnus Maximus. It is also interesting to note that though Macsen Wledig is denoted as 'emperor' in the Mabinogion tale, the title gwledig also denotes a form of leadership, but Macsen's epithet is strongly indicative that it does not mean 'emperor'. Part of the problem is that in later usage the term has come to mean any kind of ruler, but originally it probably had a very specific meaning. In the oldest genealogies it is a term applied to those seen as 'Romans'; Ambrosius Aurelianus, Magnus Maximus, the sub-Roman chieftains that followed them and their successors in the Middle ages. Interestingly these lineages all originated in northern and eastern Britain. Thus the term is never applied to the lineages of Gwynedd who arose in the western part of the 'Old North'. EK Chambers in his Arthur of Britain has suggested that the term 'gwledig' is the cognate of the Roman epithet 'Protector' and denotes a more military rather than purely administrative role; which seems to make sense from the avilable evidence.

The image above is based on a golden solidus of Magnus Maximus. This was minted at Constantinople in 384 CE. In the image Magnus Maximus wears the laurel and rosette diadem of the emperor.

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