"priteni" is the source of the welsh language term prydain, "britain", which has the same source as the goidelic term cruithne used to refer to the early brythonic-speaking inhabitants of ireland. the latter were later called picts or caledonians by the romans. greek historians diodorus of sicily and strabo preserved variants of "prettanike" from the work of greek explorer pytheas of massalia, who travelled from his home in hellenistic southern gaul to britain in the 4th century bc. the term used by pytheas may derive from a celtic word meaning "the painted ones" or "the tattooed folk" in reference to body decorations. according to strabo, pytheas referred to britain as "bretannikē", which is treated a feminine noun. marcian of heraclea, in his "periplus maris exteri", described the island group as (the prettanic isles).