The peace treaty which resulted allowed the king to build a series of fortifications throughout his kingdom, which provided the heartland of the West Saxon kingdom with the strength it needed to withstand future Viking attacks. A series of treaties with the Vikings bought time for the West Saxons but, after a surprise attack in the winter of 878, the king took refuge and finally rallied his forces to victory at the Battle of Ethandun. The youngest of five brothers to rule Wessex in turbulent times, Alfred’s accession to the throne of Wessex in 871 took place in a ‘year of battles’, the most important of which was the Battle of Ashdown, when the young prince proved his mettle against his enemies. A major part of this reputation is built on his military leadership of the West Saxon kingdom, the last of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms to survive the Viking onslaught of the ninth century.
Alfred of Wessex (871–99) is renowned as one of the great kings of medieval English history and is the only English king to be remembered as ‘the Great’.
0 kommentar(er)
