 Early historians, including the 6th-century cleric Gildas, have noted 383 as a significant point in Welsh history.In that year, the Roman general Magnus Maximus, or Macsen Wledig, stripped western and northern Britain of troops and senior administrators to launch a successful bid for imperial power, continuing to rule Britain from Gaul as emperor, and transferring power to local leaders.The earliest Welsh genealogies give Maximus the role of founding father for several royal dynasties, and the belief that he was the father of the Welsh Nation.