The chronology of 5th century Britain

[Jim Webster]

There's no sense that there was any Saxon/Pagan presence in Britain at the time

The life was written about 480AD

possibly tolerated for federates and unknown re Northern tribes not visited

It could be that as  a Dux, he'd have regarded foederates as being part of the army, whilst as a Bishop he might have regarded them as Christian (being part of the army they could well have been)
So as a traveller he and his party could have been accommodated by the officer in charge of a bunch of Saxon foederates and to him they'd just be another Roman military formation.

Jim

[Imperial Dave]

quite possible. to his eye he would be more interested in luminaries and local rulers than the hoi polloi

[Jim Webster]

quite possible. to his eye he would be more interested in luminaries and local rulers than the hoi polloi

It is, but military officers were luminaries.
As an 'ex'-soldier who commanded men in Britain and a Bishop he'd have an eye for soldiers and a thing about pagans

His force may have included foederate but that would be something he was used to from Gaul

[Imperial Dave]

fair point. however we are in danger of opening up another rabbit hole 

[Jim Webster]

fair point. however we are in danger of opening up another rabbit hole 

Yes, but it does show a problem that we have to consider when considering sources. It's always been a problem that what we might expect our sources to discuss they don't mention because 'everybody knows about it.' (Roman line relief anybody?    )

So a 5th century Roman general (even if retired) probably wouldn't feel the need to comment on the presence of foederate in a field army

[Imperial Dave]

absolutely

paucity of written accounts
veracity of written accounts
translations of written accounts
bias of written accounts
assumptions of missing/assumed information in written accounts
transmogrification or at least partial introduction of errors in written accounts via multiple copyists
modern day interpretation of written accounts including the use of modern perspectives and unintentional bias 
attempting to fit archaeological evidence with written narratives (referred to by James Gerrard in his book as the historical tail wagging the archaeological dog!)

thats what we have to work with. thats not to say that we cant use information contained within accounts, we just have to be really careful to scrutinise what we make of it.

[Jim Webster]

absolutely

paucity of written accounts
veracity of written accounts
translations of written accounts
bias of written accounts
assumptions of missing/assumed information in written accounts
transmogrification or at least partial introduction of errors in written accounts via multiple copyists
modern day interpretation of written accounts including the use of modern perspectives and unintentional bias 
attempting to fit archaeological evidence with written narratives (referred to by James Gerrard in his book as the historical tail wagging the archaeological dog!)

thats what we have to work with. thats not to say that we cant use information contained within accounts, we just have to be really careful to scrutinise what we make of it.

Indeed it is one of those periods where the more you study, the less you know with any certainty!

Not only that but you don't even not know it 'definitively' as the more you delve, the deeper the pool of doubt and uncertainty!

[Imperial Dave]

I know.....and cross referencing is a nightmare!

[Jim Webster]

I know.....and cross referencing is a nightmare!

And as for dating!

[Imperial Dave]

its a minefield. Still we try our best and accept that there is alot of margin of error

[Jim Webster]

its a minefield. Still we try our best and accept that there is alot of margin of error

At least a century and the main protagonists may never have existed 

[Imperial Dave]

I am reasonably happy that most of the belligerents existed just not all in the same time frame, area or name

[Jim Webster]

I am reasonably happy that most of the belligerents existed just not all in the same time frame, area or name

That's probably the realistic baseline and anything after that is pure jam 

[Imperial Dave]

rereading some source material currently and this time making notes

[Jim Webster]

rereading some source material currently and this time making notes

I keep meaning to do that but 24hrs later I can no longer read my notes anyway