Mempricius (''
Welsh:'' Membyr) was a
legendary king of the Britons, as recounted by
Geoffrey of Monmouth. He came to power in 1060BC. He was the son of King
Maddan, brother of Malin, and father of king
Ebraucus.
Sacred Texts website
''Histories of the Kings of Britain (Book II)'', by Geoffry of Monmouth, tr. by Sebastian Evans (1904)
War
Upon his father's death, war broke out between Mempricius and his brother, Malin, over who would dominate Britain. Mempricius called a conference with his brother and other delegates to end the war between the two brothers. Once there, Mempricius killed Malin and took the throne of the Britons for himself.
Tyranny
He ruled as a tyrant for 20 years, killing most of the distinguished men on the island. More so, he defeated and killed all other claimants to the throne. He abandoned his wife and his son, Ebraucus, to live a life of sodomy
Sodomy (), also called buggery in British English, principally refers to either anal sex (but occasionally also oral sex) between people, or any Human sexual activity, sexual activity between a human and another animal (Zoophilia, bestiality). I ...
.
According to Geoffrey of Monmouth, he reigned at the same period of time as Saul, the King in Judea
Judea or Judaea (; ; , ; ) is a mountainous region of the Levant. Traditionally dominated by the city of Jerusalem, it is now part of Palestine and Israel. The name's usage is historic, having been used in antiquity and still into the pres ...
, and Eurysthenes, King in Sparta
Sparta was a prominent city-state in Laconia in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (), while the name Sparta referred to its main settlement in the Evrotas Valley, valley of Evrotas (river), Evrotas rive ...
.
Death
While on a hunting expedition, he was separated from his companions and attacked by a pack of wolves. He died and was succeeded by his son Ebraucus as monarch.
Notes
References
{{Geoffrey of Monmouth
Legendary British kings
Fictional gay men