Gracianus Municeps

Gracianus Municeps was a legendary King of the Britons, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth's "Historia regum Britanniae", a fictional account of British history. After the death of Emperor Magnus Maximus, Gracianus usurped the throne from the rightful king, Dionotus, upon receiving word of Maximus's demise.

Gracianus served under Maximus during his campaigns in Rome and Germany, and was sent to Britain to defeat Wanius and Melga, the kings of the Picts and Huns respectively. He defeated the armies of both kings immediately upon arrival, ejecting them to Ireland. Soon after, word came that Maximus had died at the hands of either a supporter of the late Roman Emperor Gratian or by one of Gracianus Municeps' own followers. Gracianus seized the crown of Britain from king Dionotus and began a reign of terror throughout the island but soon certain plebs banded together and assassinated him. Gracianus was succeeded by Constantine II of Britain, the brother of King Aldroenus of Brittany, following a period of chaos caused by continuous invasions.

Historically, the predecessor to Constantine was Gratian on whom Geoffrey's tale was probably based. The Venerable Bede refers to this Gratian as Municeps in his Ecclesiastic History of the English people in Chapter XI of this work and the epithet is seemingly there to distinguish this Gratian from the earlier Gratian killed by the Usurper Magnus Maximus.

ee also

* Roman departure from Britain.