Hibernia

Significance of Hibernia

Hibernia is likely to come from the Latin term hibernus which means winter.

Another possibility is that Hibernia comes from Ivernia which, translated into Latin Ierne , was the name given to Ireland by Pythéas, a merchant and exploring Greek of fourth century BC; Ierne coming itself from Erin the mythological name of Ireland. At the beginning of the 20th century, ivernian was used in England by the people educated in reference to Hibernia .

Hibernia in the historical sources

The island of Ireland forever be built-in the Roman Empire. The Romans never invaded the island nor truly influenced its inhabitants.

The Irish tribes had on their side an influence on the Brittany and the Gaulle by badgering them militarily as we show it certain Roman texts. Before our era, Greeks and Romans have only little knowledge on Ireland. The Geographer S Strabon and Pomponius Mela describe it like a ground cold and inhabited by savages who feast on the corpse of their fathers and practice the inceste with their mothers and girls.

At second century BC, the geographer Ptolémée establishes one surprising chart of Ireland, naming tribes, cities, rivers and refiefs. This information can have several origins, but shows knowledge and a intêret growing for Ireland.

The Irish historical sources of the time never mention Rome. If Rome were mentioned in another form, nobody in forever made the formal evidence. This absence of sources on both sides means to in no case only Rome or the Roman province of Brittany did not have relations with Ireland.

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