Maglocunus
Maglocunus, known as Maelgwn Gwynedd in Welsh (d. c. 547), was a 6th-century monarch based in Gwynedd, in north-western Wales. Maglocunus' name means "princely hound", and he expanded his influence to become one of the pre-eminent rulers of Britain in the 6th century.
Unusually for an early medieval British king, we have a contemporary account of his reign, in the form of Gildas' De Excidio Britanniae (On the Ruin of Britain). Gildas (c. 500-570) presents him as a violent and tyrannical ruler; later writers, however, generally portray him in a more neutral or positive light. Maglocunus is the version of his name given in Gildas, and appears to come from the Common Brythonic *Maglo-kunos or "princely hound". This evolved to Mailcun in Old Welsh, and Maelgwn in Middle and Modern Welsh; all three versions of the name are given to him in the historical and legendary sources.
Background to Maglocunus' Reign
After the withdrawal of the Roman army from Roman Britain and the collapse of Roman authority during the 5th century, the island had reverted to the control of native British leaders ruling over small kingdoms based on the old Roman government districts, or civitates as they were called in Latin. These little realms were vulnerable to raids and invasions, particularly from the Irish to the west and the Picts to the north. In an attempt to boost their defences, the Britons hired Saxon mercenaries whom they paid with land and food – a strategy copied from the Western Roman Empire.
As often happened, this strategy ended in disaster, as a dispute over pay caused the Saxons to rebel against their erstwhile employers c. 441 CE. Almost uniquely among the inhabitants of the former Roman Empire, however, the Britons managed to organise against the invaders before they were completely overrun. There followed about half a century of warfare between the Britons and the Saxons, with many victories on either side. Although the Britons could not drive the Saxons out of Britain altogether, they controlled most of the island, with the Saxons driven back to the eastern parts of the island. A period of relative peace ensued, lasting until c. 577, and it was during this time that Maglocunus' career was situated.
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