by Beagnoth on July 31, 2010
The first armed conflict of Hengest and Horsa with Vortigern took place in 455. About the same time Horsa was killed in battle, while Hengest carried war on the Britons. By 473 he founded the first Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the kingdom of Kent. His successors were Esc, Octa and Eormenric of Kent (relationships in this line of kings and exact dates of their rule are not clear).
The next stage of the conquest was led by the Saxon war-lord Ælle, who landed with his three sons on the Sussex shore in 477. In 491 he besieged and took the shore fort Anderida. Bede mentions Ælle as the king over all the provinces south of the river Humber. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle lists Ælle as the first of the eight bretawaldas (a term that designated “rulers of Britain”), which may indicate that the king of the South Saxons was recognized as the ruler by other Anglo-Saxon leaders.
Wessex was founded in 495 by Cerdic, who landed in Hampshire “in three keels”. The Chronicle also attributes to Cerdic the conquest of the Isle of Wight, which was later given to West Saxons Stuf and Wihtgar. Cerdic was succeeded by his son Cynric. [click to continue…]
by Beagnoth on July 30, 2010
Incursions of Germanic warriors into Britain started late in the 4th century, during the Migration Period in Europe. Roman authors called them Saxons, but they certainly were divided into multiple ethnic groups. According to Bede the Venerable, armies of the invaders comprised representatives of the “three most powerful Germanic peoples” of the time: Angles, Saxons and Jutes. In the 6th century Procopius of Caesarea wrote that Britain was “inhabited by Angles, Frisians and Britons, each with their own king.” This testimony is supported by linguistics, since Old English and Old Frisian are closely related. Modern researchers believe that a wider range of Germanic peoples, including Franks, actually moved to Britain at the time.
Angles as a people are first mentioned by Tacitus, who names them among seven tribes who worshipped Nerthus or Earth Mother in an insular sanctuary. The description suggests the idea of coastal regions, but it is unclear whether the North or Baltic Sea is implied. Ptolemaeus locates the Angles to the west of the middle Elbe. In the Anglo-Saxon oral tradition, as reflected in the poem Widsith (written down in the 9th century), king Offa marks the border of his kingdom at the mouth of the Eider river. All this points to the southern part of the Jutland (Cimbrian) Peninsula as the original home of the Angles. [click to continue…]
by Beagnoth on July 30, 2010
The power of Romans in Britain first weakened early in the 4th century. The main reason was economic crisis. Moreover, along the usual incursions of Scots and Picts, fierce attacks by Saxons, Attacotti, and Franks worsened the situation. Romano-British population was overwhelmed by the extraordinary conspiracy of the barbarians who acted in concert. In 367 a joint raid of Celts and Anglo-Saxons devastated the country, after the Roman garrison on Hadrian’s Wall rebelled and let Picts into Britannia. Nearly all Roman outposts and settlements fell into the hands of the invaders. Rome sent Theodosius the Elder, who was able to restore order.
However, in 383 a rebellion broke again. It was led by Magnus Maximus, who served under Theodosius. This Maximus has a lot in common with the main character of Gladiator, a 2000 historical epic by Ridley Scott. Like Maximus Decimus Meridius from the movie, Magnus Maximus was a Spaniard and a distinguished general of the Roman army. He as well challenged the emperor and his son was executed (the fate of his wife is uncertain). Strangely enough, Wikipedia article on the Gladiator movie does not cite Magnus Maximus among the historical figures who inspired the protagonist of the film. [click to continue…]
