<P> As the Roman occupation of Britain was coming to an end , Constantine III withdrew the remains of the army , in reaction to the barbarian invasion of Europe . The Romano - British leaders were faced with an increasing security problem from seaborne raids , particularly by Picts on the East coast of England . The expedient adopted by the Romano - British leaders was to enlist the help of Anglo - Saxon mercenaries ( known as foederati ) , to whom they ceded territory . In about 442 the Anglo - Saxons mutinied , apparently because they had not been paid . The Romano - British responded by appealing to the Roman commander of the Western empire , Aëtius for help ( a document known as the Groans of the Britons ) , even though Honorius , the Western Roman Emperor , had written to the British civitas in or about 410 telling them to look to their own defence . There then followed several years of fighting between the British and the Anglo - Saxons . The fighting continued until around 500 , when , at the Battle of Mount Badon , the Britons inflicted a severe defeat on the Anglo - Saxons . </P>
<P> As the Roman occupation of Britain was coming to an end , Constantine III withdrew the remains of the army , in reaction to the barbarian invasion of Europe . The Romano - British leaders were faced with an increasing security problem from seaborne raids , particularly by Picts on the East coast of England . The expedient adopted by the Romano - British leaders was to enlist the help of Anglo - Saxon mercenaries ( known as foederati ) , to whom they ceded territory . In about 442 the Anglo - Saxons mutinied , apparently because they had not been paid . The Romano - British responded by appealing to the Roman commander of the Western empire , Aëtius for help ( a document known as the Groans of the Britons ) , even though Honorius , the Western Roman Emperor , had written to the British civitas in or about 410 telling them to look to their own defence . There then followed several years of fighting between the British and the Anglo - Saxons . The fighting continued until around 500 , when , at the Battle of Mount Badon , the Britons inflicted a severe defeat on the Anglo - Saxons . </P>
who occupied the british isles before the coming of the anglo-saxons
who occupied the british isles before the coming of the anglo-saxons
Romano - British
Romano - British