Arthfael Hen ap Rhys, also called Arthfael the Old, was the king of the

Kingdom of Glywysing Glywysing was, from the sub-Roman period to the Early Middle Ages, a petty kingdom in south-east Wales. Its people were descended from the Iron Age tribe of the Silures, and frequently in union with Gwent, merging to form Morgannwg. Name an ...

(in modern-day Wales) between 785 and approximately 825 AD.

History

Arthfael was the second son of Gweirydd ap Brochfael and a descendant of Saint

Tewdrig Tewdrig ap Teithfallt (; la, Theodoricus), known simply as Tewdrig, was a king of the post-Roman Kingdom of Glywysing. He abdicated in favour of his son Meurig (Maurice) and retired to live a hermitical life, but was recalled to lead his son' ...

and

Meurig ap Tewdrig Meurig ap Tewdrig (Latin: ''Mauricius''; English: ''Maurice'') was the son of Tewdrig (St. Tewdric), and a King of the early Welsh Kingdoms of Gwent and Glywysing. He is thought to have lived between 400AD and 600AD, but some sources give more spec ...

of the

Kingdom of Gwent Gwent ( owl, Guent) was a medieval Welsh kingdom, lying between the Rivers Wye and Usk. It existed from the end of Roman rule in Britain in about the 5th century until the Norman invasion of Wales in the 11th century. Along with its neighbou ...

as well as a descendant of

Brychan Brychan Brycheiniog was a legendary 5th-century king of Brycheiniog (Brecknockshire, alternatively Breconshire) in Mid Wales. Life According to Celtic hagiography Brychan was born in Ireland, the son of a Prince Anlach, son of Coronac, and ...

. As such, he was a prince in both the kingdoms of Glywysing and Gwent as his cousin Athrwys was king of Gwent. He became King of Glywysing in 785 succeeding his father Rhys ap Ithael. He married the daughter of Braustud ferch Glowd of the Kingdom of Buellt, with whom he had two sons Rhys ap Arthfael and Meureg ap Arthfael. Despite this success, historians noted that the Kingdom of Glywysing at the time was subdivided between Arthfael's cousins, nephews and uncles. Each one of them were de facto monarchs over smaller parts of the Kingdom. While Arthfael was recognised as the senior king within the realm, it is unlikely that he had any direct control or authority over his competing ruling family members within the kingdom of Glywysing.

Death

Arthfael died between 815 and 825 during a battle with the

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were a cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo-Saxons happened wit ...

near the church of

Roath Roath ( cy, Y Rhath) is a district and community to the north-east of the city centre of Cardiff, capital of Wales. There is no community council for the area which is mostly covered by the Plasnewydd electoral ward, and stretches from Adam ...

near

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

, though his army eventually won the battle. Arthfael was later buried in that church in Roath.{{cite book , first =David Lloyd , last =Issac , title =Siluriana, Or Contributions Towards the History of Gwent & Glamorgan , publisher=W. Christophers Merlin Office , year = 1859 , pages = 232 He was succeeded as king of Glywysing by his son Rhys ap Arthfael. In 848, the King of Gwent and Arthfael's cousin Ithael ap Athrwys died and was succeeded by Meureg ap Arthfael and the two sons of Arthfael ruled both kingdoms together.

References

Monarchs of Glywysing 8th-century Welsh monarchs 9th-century Welsh monarchs