Vortigern

Vortigern was a king of England who has entered into legend as a proud tyrant. Historically speaking, he seems to have been the first ruler of England after the Romans left in 410 AD, though records from this period are very scanty as civilisation was collapsing everywhere, hence the name 'Dark Ages'. According to Nennius, Vortigern rose to power around 425 AD, prior to this England seems to have been run by a council of magistrates. Vortigern was a follower of Pelagianism, a heresy that denied original sin and preached salvation by one's own efforts, rather than those of any outside agency. His opponents were the Roman Catholics, and it wasn't long before civil wat broke out in England between these two factions. Vortigern employed Saxon mercenaries under Hengist as his allies, but these turned against him and slaughtered all his men. Vortigern himself fled to the mountains of Wales. The leader of the Roman Catholic faction Ambrosius Aurelianus, became king in Vortigern's place.