Ceterum Britanniam qui mortales initio coluerint, indigenae an advecti, ut inter barbaros parum compertum.
Habitus corporum varii atque ex eo argumenta. Namque rutilae Caledoniam habitantium comae,
magni artus Germanicam originem adseverant; Silurum colorati vultus, torti plerumque crines et posita contra
Hispania Hiberos veteres traiecisse easque sedes occupasse fidem faciunt; proximi Gallis et similes sunt,
seu durante originis vi, seu procurrentibus in diversa terris positio caeli corporibus habitum dedit. In universum
tamen aestimanti Gallos vicinam insulam occupasse credibile est. Eorum sacra deprehendas ac superstitionum
persuasionem; sermo haud multum diversus, in deposcendis periculis eadem audacia et, ubi advenere, in
detrectandis eadem formido. Plus tamen ferociae Britanni praeferunt, ut quos nondum longa pax emollierit.
Nam Gallos quoque in bellis floruisse accepimus; mox segnitia cum otio intravit, amissa virtute pariter ac libertate.
Quod Britannorum olim victis evenit: ceteri manent quales Galli fuerunt.
I read a book called The Origins of the British by Stephen Oppenheimer, which I think I must have taken to the Oxfam
shop. He referred to this passage by Tacitus, which I did not know it was in Agricola. Oppenheimer had a theory that
Britain and Ireland were initially settled by people from nothern Spain just after the last ice age or the Younger Dryas,
which was a period when it started to get cold again, but did not turn into another ice age. He said these Spanish
people tended to settle along the west coast of Great Britain, the west of France and the whole of Ireland. He thought
the east side of Britain were also settled by immigrants from mainland Europe and, I am not sure if I remember correctly,
but I think he thought Scotland was partly settled by Scandinavians. He does not really believe in the concept of Celts.
I think it is odd that Tacitus associates being red-headed with Germany. I imagine Germans being either blond or brown
haired. There are still Welsh people who have dark brown eyes, and curly brown hair. I am thinking Max Boyce who
was a Welsh comedian and rugby fanatic, and Gareth Thomas who was in Blakes 7, who annoying left after season 2.
Stephen Oppenheimer wondered what the language was that Tacitus said was spoken both sides of the English Channel.
Most people would assume it was Gaulish, which is a Celtic language similar to Breton and Welsh. However,
Oppenheimer says the Belgae tribe lived on the French side of the channel and they may have spoken a Germanic
language. Oppenheimer thought Saxons may have started arriving in England long before Romans left. He thinks
the DNA evidence shows no indication of an invasion and neither does archeology. There was a Welsh monk called
St Guidas who wrote about a Saxon invasion occurring after the Romans left, but Oppenheimer thought he was
unreliable. It seems odd that the Saxons themselves thought they had invaded England in their history. Why would
they think that, and why would they speak a Germanic language that was very different to the British language spoken
in other parts of the island? It would have been handy if Tacitus had written down a bit more information.
Habitus corporum varii atque ex eo argumenta. Namque rutilae Caledoniam habitantium comae,
magni artus Germanicam originem adseverant; Silurum colorati vultus, torti plerumque crines et posita contra
Hispania Hiberos veteres traiecisse easque sedes occupasse fidem faciunt; proximi Gallis et similes sunt,
seu durante originis vi, seu procurrentibus in diversa terris positio caeli corporibus habitum dedit. In universum
tamen aestimanti Gallos vicinam insulam occupasse credibile est. Eorum sacra deprehendas ac superstitionum
persuasionem; sermo haud multum diversus, in deposcendis periculis eadem audacia et, ubi advenere, in
detrectandis eadem formido. Plus tamen ferociae Britanni praeferunt, ut quos nondum longa pax emollierit.
Nam Gallos quoque in bellis floruisse accepimus; mox segnitia cum otio intravit, amissa virtute pariter ac libertate.
Quod Britannorum olim victis evenit: ceteri manent quales Galli fuerunt.
I read a book called The Origins of the British by Stephen Oppenheimer, which I think I must have taken to the Oxfam
shop. He referred to this passage by Tacitus, which I did not know it was in Agricola. Oppenheimer had a theory that
Britain and Ireland were initially settled by people from nothern Spain just after the last ice age or the Younger Dryas,
which was a period when it started to get cold again, but did not turn into another ice age. He said these Spanish
people tended to settle along the west coast of Great Britain, the west of France and the whole of Ireland. He thought
the east side of Britain were also settled by immigrants from mainland Europe and, I am not sure if I remember correctly,
but I think he thought Scotland was partly settled by Scandinavians. He does not really believe in the concept of Celts.
I think it is odd that Tacitus associates being red-headed with Germany. I imagine Germans being either blond or brown
haired. There are still Welsh people who have dark brown eyes, and curly brown hair. I am thinking Max Boyce who
was a Welsh comedian and rugby fanatic, and Gareth Thomas who was in Blakes 7, who annoying left after season 2.
Stephen Oppenheimer wondered what the language was that Tacitus said was spoken both sides of the English Channel.
Most people would assume it was Gaulish, which is a Celtic language similar to Breton and Welsh. However,
Oppenheimer says the Belgae tribe lived on the French side of the channel and they may have spoken a Germanic
language. Oppenheimer thought Saxons may have started arriving in England long before Romans left. He thinks
the DNA evidence shows no indication of an invasion and neither does archeology. There was a Welsh monk called
St Guidas who wrote about a Saxon invasion occurring after the Romans left, but Oppenheimer thought he was
unreliable. It seems odd that the Saxons themselves thought they had invaded England in their history. Why would
they think that, and why would they speak a Germanic language that was very different to the British language spoken
in other parts of the island? It would have been handy if Tacitus had written down a bit more information.
