Gildas, surnamed "the Wise," a British historian, born, according to some authorities, in 493, according to others in 511, died in 570 or 590. He was the son of Caw, a British prince who emigrated to Wales to avoid subjection to the Anglo-Saxons, and the Welsh bard Aneurin is supposed to have been the same person or his brother. (See Aneurin.) His only complete work extant is a short Latin composition on British history, entitled De Calamitate, Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, in which he mourns over the ruin of his country, and inveighs against the British kings and clergy. It was first published by Polydore Vergil in 1525, and has been often reprinted. The best edition is by Stevenson, under the care of the English historical society (London, 1838). Translations have been published by Habington (1638), and by Dr. Giles in "Bonn's Antiquarian Library" (1848). It is said by Wright that there is no independent authority for the existence of Gildas, or for the historical truth of the work attributed to him, which he regards as a forgery of the 7th century.