The Saxon Victory

8/7/2019 The Saxon Victory

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/the-saxon-victory 1/14

Part 1: The begining .



The most important figure of Wessex, politicallyspeaking, before Offa·s times, had been Ine.Ine released the first written law code ofEngland, establishing the basis for nowadays

legal system in England (and therefore inU.S.A.)He divided and organized Wessex indemarcations determined by bishoprics.His capitol bishopric was Winchester.He abdicated to perform a pilgrimage toRome and died soon after.Then came Offa of Mercia (late 8 th Century).



Wessex enjoyed an acceptable politicaland social stability since the agreement

with Mercia and Offa (777 a.D.).Offa imposed Beorthric as King insteadof the legitimate successor: Egbert, whowas then exiled.The death of those two in the year 802left the path clear for Egbert to returnand be proclaimed King.



Under the reins of Egbert, Wessexexpands once again towards Cornuallessizing over almost its complete territory.

Soon after, Kent, Sussex and Essex had tobow before the new powerful kingdom.Oriental Anglia allies Wessex andtogether they fight against Mercia,defeating it. By the year 829, all Merciahad been invaded.Egbert had suddenly become the ruler

of all of England.





Following the river streams, the Vikingswere sacking small English populationsone after the other until they got toWessex·s boundaries.The cohesion of the army of Egbert waseasily disrupted.While Egbert was in London, the Vikings

landed in Cornualles whose populationreceived them with open arms.



The conflict continued with alternatedvictories and then Egbert died in 839 withouthaving been able to achieve a conclusiveone.

The Vikings retrieved for a while andattacked the Francs and other peoples incontinental Europe (Hamburg, Utrecht, Paris,Bordeaux and Seville).Ethelwulf, his son, became Egbert·ssuccessor. However, he was a peaceful manwho apparently had not a warrior·spersonallity .



In 85, 350 Drakkars filled with Vikingwarriors came back from their quarter territories, sacking Canterbury and evenLondon.However and surprisingly, Ethelwulfbrought the Vikings the harshest of their defeats In their history (Although time

proved later that the Vikings werestubborn and determined).



The (momentary) victory over the vikingsraised the King of Wessex·s popularity allalong England.As a proof of thankfulness, he did apilgrimage trip to Rome.In this trip he took his younger son, Alfred,with him and left his major one as the

temporary ruler.In his way back, both of them gaveCharles the Bald an her daughter Judith(mostly her) a courtesy visit.



Back in Wessex he decides to abdicatein favor of his son Ethelbald withoutabandoning the power entirely (hebecame the governor of the satellitekingdoms), dying in 859.



Offa¶s

Helm



Egb er g

Eth elwulf





Documents

The Saxon Victory