Armorica

**Armorica** or **Aremorica** is the name of the land to the west of Francia, that is modern day Brittany.

Armorica is not a kingdom itself, but a group of petty Celtic kingdoms.

The main inabitants of Armorica in order of population are:

* Gauls
* Celtic Britons
* Romano-Britons

## Kingdoms of Armorica

* Cornouaille
* Léon
* Pays De Dol
* Pays De Saint-Malo
* Pays De Saint-Brieuc
* Pays Nantais
* Pays Rennais
* Trégor
* Vannetais

- Pays means country of

## Etymology

The name *Armorica* is a Latinized form of the Gaulish toponym *Aremorica*, which literally means 'place in front of the sea'. It is formed with the prefix *are*- ('in front of') attached to -*mori*- ('sea') and the feminine suffix *-(i)cā*, denoting the localization (or provenance).

These days the region is beginning to be called *Britannia*. Britannia means "land of the Britons". This word had been used by the Romans since the 1st century to refer to Great Britain, and more specifically the Roman province of Britain. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, many Britons settled in western Armorica, and the region started to be called Britannia.

## History

During the protohistorical period, Armorica was inhabited by five Celtic tribes:

* The Curiosolitae
* The Namnetes
* The Osismii
* The Redones
* The Veneti

These people had strong economic ties to the Celts, especially for the tin trade. Several tribes also belonged to an "Armorican confederation". The region became part of the Roman Republic in 51 BC. It was included in the province of Gallia Lugdunensis in 13 BC. Gallic towns and villages were redeveloped according to Roman standards, and several cities were created.

The Romans also built three major roads through the region. However, most of the population remained rural. During the 3rd century AD, the region was attacked several times by Franks, Alamanni and pirates. At the same time, the local economy collapsed and many farming estates were abandoned. To face the invasions, many towns and cities were fortified.

Toward the end of the 4th century, the Britons of what is now Wales and the South-Western peninsula of Great Britain began to emigrate to Armorica.

Conan Meriadoc came to Armorica on the orders of the Roman usurper Magnus Maximus, who sent some of his British troops to Gaul to enforce his claims and settled them in Armorica. Briton settlement increased during the Anglo-Saxon invasion of Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries.

Armorica was apart of Gallia Celtica during the Roman Empire. The Emperor Aldroenus used to rule Armorica. Emperor Aldroenus was the brother of the Western Roman Emperor Constantine III.

Originally Aldroenus was asked by Britions to be their ruler after the Roman withdrawal, seeking a king who can defend them against the barbarians (Saxons, Picts, Vikings, Angles, and Jutes). Aldroenus refused believing the country to have diminished, but sent his brother Constantine to rule instead.

Emperor Constantine had two children, Constans and Uther Pendragon. After Emperor Constantine's wife died, Uther went to live in Aremorio with Emperor Aldroenus. Uther stayed in Aremorio until he overthrowed the House of de Bois for the throne of Camelot.

Aldroenus died with no heirs, and the kingdom of Armorica was disbanded, with no other Emperors ruling in Armorica again.