The original founder of ancient Britain was allegedly a giant son of Poseidon named Albion, according to legend. This giant was then killed by Hercules while returning from one of his twelve labors. However, is this legend just a modern invention, or did the ancient Greeks really believe in a giant called Albion who founded Britain?
The modern story of Albion, the giant who founded Britain
The earliest record that explicitly describes the story of a giant named Albion, who founded Britain, comes from Annius Viterbo. He was writing right at the end of the 15th century. Annius published what he claimed was a translation of a record from Berossus, the ancient Babylonian historian. However, scholars now widely agree that his account is an obvious forgery.
According to this supposedly ancient record by Annius, Britain was founded by a giant named Albion. He was the son of Neptune (that is, Poseidon to the Greeks). His father Neptune gave his sons lands to rule, and Albion received Britain.
Annius goes on to claim that Hercules, the son of the Bible’s Mizraim, went to war against Geryon in Spain. After defeating him, he journeyed through Gaul towards Italy. At this point, the brothers Albion and Bergion attacked Hercules. The latter managed to defeat and kill Albion and Bergion, thus ending Albion’s reign over Britain.
In Annius’ account, Albion and his brothers are not literal giants, just as Neptune is not presented as a literal god. The account is highly euhemerised, meaning that it is rationalised in a way that makes sense in a real-world context. Albion and his brothers were supposedly just tall men.
The ancient origin of this legend
Annius Viterbo appears to be the earliest surviving source to explicitly describe Albion, the so-called giant, who founded Britain. However, he certainly did not invent this entire story. The basic outline of events is very clearly seen in several ancient records.
For example, the first-century BCE historian Apollodorus wrote the following:
“As a tenth labour he [Hercules] was ordered to fetch the kine [cattle] of Geryon from Erythia. Now Erythia was an island near the ocean; it is now called Gadira. This island was inhabited by Geryon… And Hercules, embarking the kine in the goblet and sailing across to Tartessus, gave back the goblet to the Sun. And passing through Abderia he came to Liguria, where Ialebion [Alebion] and Dercynus, sons of Poseidon, attempted to rob him of the kine, but he killed them and went on his way through Tyrrhenia.”
In this account, we observe the same fundamental series of events as described by Annius of Viterbo. Hercules traveled to Gadira, modern-day Cadiz in Spain, in opposition to Geryon. After defeating Geryon there, he crossed Gaul on his way to Italy, where he was met by two sons of Poseidon, also known as Neptune.
The giant whom Apollodorus calls ‘Ialebion’ is the same as the Albion of Annius’ account. In other ancient texts, this figure is known as ‘Alebion’. The figure named ‘Dercynus’ is the same as Annius’ Bergion, these being alternative names for the same character in Greek mythology.
This basic story, despite not specifically mentioning Albion, dates back at least to Aeschylus, a Greek poet of the early fifth century BCE, who referenced Hercules’ battle at this location.
Did the Greeks connect Alebion with Britain?
Although the basic outline of Annius’ story is found in ancient texts, what about the crucial detail that Albion was the giant who founded Britain? There does not appear to be any ancient source that specifically connects Britain to Albion, or Alebion, who did battle with Hercules.
Nevertheless, there is good reason to believe that the Greeks made this connection, even if it does not appear in any surviving historical source. Why can we say that?
The name ‘Albion’ was one of the ancient names for Britain. Several ancient Greek writers used this name. For instance, the Greek explorer Pytheas of Massalia from the fourth century BCE wrote about the British Isles and referred to them as Albion and Ierne (the latter being a name for Ireland).
It is unlikely that the ancient Greeks failed to notice the similarity between this ancient name for Britain and the name of Alebion, son of Poseidon. Even if the two names have independent origins, this would not have stopped the ancient Greeks from associating them with each other.
Evidence from the context
Alebion’s brother was supposedly the eponymous ancestor of an ancient nation. He had the alternative name “Ligys,” which was allegedly the origin of the name of the Ligurians, a people in northern Italy, near where the legend of Hercules’ battle is set.
Therefore, the context supports the conclusion that Alebion, likewise, was supposed to be the eponymous founder of a nation. The only nation anywhere near Hercules’ route from Spain to Italy with a name like ‘Alebion’ was the Albiones, the ancient Britons.
Hence, what can we conclude? It is true that no ancient text explicitly describes Britain as being founded by a giant called Albion. Nevertheless, there is good evidence that the ancient Greeks did connect Alebion, son of Poseidon, with Britain.
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