The Life of St. Cadroe

(From Colgan's "Lives of the Irish Saints") 11th century MS. S. Hubert, as printed by Colgan Acta Sanctorum, 6 March Skene Pactolus igitur Asiae fluvius, Choriam, Lydiamque regiones dividit super quen Chorischon urbem manus antiqua fundavit; cujus incolae lingua et cultu nationeque Graeci, multimodi laboria negotiis serviebant. Quorum ontentu navibus conscensis per Pathmos Abidosque, Hellesponti Insulae, Thraciam superiorem devenerunt: opulentiaque regionis capti, patriam repedarunt: nec multo post constructa classe cum conjugibus et liberis unversaque supellectili, junctis sibi Pergamis et Lacedemontis, ut capitum terram possessuri peterent delegerunt. Jam ingressia Hellespontum exoritur aquilo cui frustra renitentes, eis ephesus et Melos insulae devolvuntur: sicque Ortigiam translegentes secus Cucladas insulas per mare Curpaticum, Cretam incurrisse mirati sunt. Unde spe patriae, conscensa classe, vulturno a prora exorto, in Sicinum sinum detorquentur: moxque ut mare magnum Affricum devenissent, nisi nimia vi ventorum acti, inter Corciam et Inclytam, qui, mirum dictu, Iaesis oculis preaebent medelam furibus afferunt caecitatem; per Gallicum pelagus, illirios sinus errantes intrassent. Quid enim facerent? Sol occultaverat, luna et astra, profusa caligine deamnaverant diem. Nusquam erat terra, hyems horrida caelestibus, ut ita credas, terrenas miscuerat undis, ut, antiquo redeunte, chas omnia crederes miscuisse. Ablata erat miseria spea vivendi: quis enim tanta corum non horeat pericula? Nam neque Aeneas aut Ulisses, quos historiae tradunt plurima pertulisse, tanta [erferre potuerunt. 3 Itaque Illiricos excuntes fluctus, inter Baleares insulas devecti, Ebusum Hispanicum intraverunt. Nec multo post per Gaditanas undas occidentals pelagus ingressi, appulsi sunt, rupibus quae visus hominum altitudine excedentes, antiqui erroris fama, columnae Herculis dicte fuerunt. Hinc illinc Affrico vento exurgente post immesnsa pericula in Tyle ultimam detorquentur: ibi vero superno intuitu, qui futura, miseratione, vocabo, inquit, non gentem meam, gentem meam, et non misericordiam consecutam, misericordiam consecutam; Ventos compescuit, aequora placavit. Tune quo venissent quia nesciebant, aliquantisper recreati aliquando refectis navibus ut gentiles se fortunae, vela ventis, classem Neptuno committunt, et Deo jebente tandem prospero cursu juxta Cruachan fell, montem Hiberniae applicuerunt. 4 Crassus Chaldaeam in suo sanguine cruentaverat: Magnus Pompeius Reipublicae urbis consulebat: Julius Caesar Gallos rebelles septennall congressione damnabat. Igitur ad terram egressi, ut moris est, situm locurum, mores et habitum nominum explorare, gentem Pictaneorum reperiunt. Cloin urbs est antiqua Hiberniae, super Synam fluviu; hujus habitatores advenientium naves succendere volentes mox armis devicti privati sunt: post vero Chorischii videntes terram lactis et mellis fertilem frequenti congressione insulanos illos devellantes Artmacham Metropolum, totamque terram inter lacus Erne et Ethioch invaserunt, longe lateque diffusi: Celdar civitatem, Corach quoque Muminensium orbem ceperunt. Jamque consortati Benchor Bilidiae urbem obsessam intraverunt. 5 Fluxerunt [ali] quot anni, et amre sibi proximum Eucam insulam, quae nunc Ioua dicitur, repleverunt. Nec Satis, post pelagus Britanniae contignum perligentes, per Rosim amnem, Rossiam regionem manserunt. Rigmonath quoque Bellethor urbes, a se procul positas, possessauri Vicerunt; sicque totam terram suo nomine Chorischiam nominatam, post cujusdam Lacedemonii Aenease filium nomine Nelum, seu Niulum, qui Princeps eorum fuerat, et olim Aegyptiam conjugem bello meruerat, nomine Scottam, ex vocabulo conjugis, patrio sermone depravato, Scotiam vocaverunt, atque post annorum curricula, per beatum Patricium, armis induti fidei, Christo Domino colla submiserunt; quorum multi fuere, qui legitime in stadio fidei decertantes, aeternae remunerationis palmam adepti, in sacrario Divinitatia laureati, Christo assistunt. Sed quis beati corum actus, proprias repleverunt paginus, ne alieno labori onerati simus, quae nota sunt supersedenda judicavimus. I have yet to find a translation of this tract from the "Life of St. Cadroe." But Skene offers the following synopsis: In this preface we learn that the Scots were "Greeks from the town of Chorischon in Choria" who obtained ships and sailed to Thrace. There they were joined by the "people of Pergamus" and the "Lacedomonians." From Thrace they were driven by the north wind past Ephesus, the island of Melos and the Cyclades, to Crete; then through the African Sea into the Illyrian Gulf. By the Balearic Isles they passed Spain by the Columns of Hercules to remote Tyle, finally landing at Cruachan Feli in Ireland. On landing in Ireland the Scots discovered the island was inhabited by the Picts. Seeing the land flowing with milk and honey, the Chorischii (as they called themselves) defeated the Picts in battle and took posession of Artmacha and the whole land between Loch Erne and Ethioch. Later they took Kildare and Cork and beseiged and entered Bangor. Many years later the Chorischii crossed the sea and occupied Iona. Entering Scotland in the region of Rossia by the river Rosis, they took possession of the towns of Regmonath and Bellethor. At first they called the country Chorischia after their own name, but later Scotia, after the wife of Nelus or Niulus, the son of Aeneas, a Lacedomonian. Scota (an Egyptian name) was used as the name of their country because they had lost their own tongue. In the course of years they were converted to Christianity by St. Patrick. This is probably the earliest known redaction of the Irish Milesian legends. Note the name "Aeneas," described as a "Lacedomonian" in this tract, the father of Nelus. Here we find the origin of the name, Feinius Farsaid and his son, Nel, in a simple Trojan legend, similar to that of the Britons and Gauls.