On the downfall of Britain. Fragments of epistles. The life of Gilda

The publication is the first full translation into Russian `about the died of Britain` - a unique monument of Latin literature of the VI century, a kind of open letter of the Holy Guild to compatriots and containing a story about the fall of Roman Britain and Anglo-Saxon conquest emanating from the author-Britta who could communicate With contemporaries of these events. In addition, chapters devoted to the chief of the British kings and clerics provide valuable information about the British statehood and the church of the VI century. The translation is equipped with Latin text and detailed comments. In the preface sets out a handwritten story `about killed Britain`, history of the study of the monument, texture problems, various points of view on controversial places in the text. The author of the preface offers new hypotheses and interpretations and examines in detail the available historical data on the uncommon"s personality of the guild. The annex to the publication contains a complete translation of two guilds, the preserved fragments of its messages, as well as translations (from the Latin, Irish and Old English) biographical information about it in other medieval sources