The Anglo-Saxon Age c. 400-1042 (A History of England)

First published 1973 by Longman Group Limited. An introductory survey which provides a clear and accessible account of the centuries between the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons and the Norman Conquest. Cover 1 Half Title 3 Title Page 5 Copyright Page 6 Table of Contents 9 INTRODUCTION: THE END OF ROMAN BRITAIN 13 CHAPTER 1 SUB-ROMAN BRITAIN: THE FIRST PHASE OF SAXON OCCUPATION 20 c.400–c.500 1. THE EVIDENCE: LITERARY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL 20 2. THE PROBLEM OF GILDAS 28 3. THE CONTINENTAL HOMELANDS OF THE INVADERS AND THEIR SETTLEMENT AREAS IN ENGLAND 34 CHAPTER 2 THE SECOND PHASE: THE CHARACTER OF CONQUEST 44 c.550–c.850 1. THE MAKING AND EXPANSION OF WESSEX 44 c.550–c.750 2. THE KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA 51 c.550–c.650 3. THE MIDLANDS 55 4. THE CHARACTER OF CONQUEST AND SETTLEMENT 56 CHAPTER 3 THE CONVERSION OF THE ANGLES AND SAXONS 67 c.300–c.450 1. CHRISTIANITY IN LATE ROMAN AND SUB-ROMAN BRITAIN 67 c.400–c.600 2. CELTIC CHRISTIANITY 70 3. ANGLO-SAXON PAGANISM 75 597–632 4. THE CONVERSION—THE ROMAN MISSION 79 633–664 5. THE CONVERSION—AIDAN: FELIX AND BIRINUS 87 597–664 6. THE VICISSITUDES OF THE MISSIONS: THE CONFLICT OF CELTIC AND ROMAN OBSERVANCES 90 664 7. RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT: THE SYNOD OF WHITBY 94 CHAPTER 4 THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE CHURCH 98 656-716 1. POLITICAL EQUILIBRIUM 98 664-690 2 . THE CHURCH AFTER WHITBY. THEODORE OF TARSUS 101 692-731 3. THE CONSOLIDATION OF THEODORE'S ACHIEVEMENT 113 CHAPTER 5 THE EARLY KINGDOMS 120 c.470–c.600 1. THE CREATION OF KINGDOMS 120 c.600–c.716 2. THE CONFLICT FOR HEGEMONY: THE BRETWALDASHIP 125 3. SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE KINGDOMS 133 4. GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS 144 CHAPTER 6 THE KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA 153 670–704 1. NORTHUMBRIA ON THE DEFENSIVE 153 704–865 2. THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE KINGDOM 156 704–865 3. THE NORTHUMBRIAN CHURCH 161 CHAPTER 7 SOUTHERN ENGLAND IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY: THE MERCIAN SUPREMACY 174 716–796 1. POLITICAL NARRATIVE 174 2. THE CHARACTER OF THE MERCIAN SUPREMACY 176 3. THE EFFECTS OF MERCIAN SUPREMACY ON THE CHURCH 182 CHAPTER 8 ENGLAND AND EUROPE 186 c.450–c.700 1. BEFORE THE EIGHTH CENTURY 186 678–806 2. ENGLISH MISSIONS TO THE CONTINENT: ALCUIN 192 3. DIPLOMATIC AND ECONOMIC CONTACTS 203 CHAPTER 9 POLITICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND 210 796–865 1. MERCIA AND WESSEX 211 796–865 2. THE CHURCH FROM THE DEATH OF OFFA TO THE DANISH CONQUEST 213 793–865 3. THE EARLY PHASES OF DANISH ATTACK 219 CHAPTER 10 KING ALFRED ‘THE GREAT' 227 865–878 1. THE GREAT ARMY OF 865 227 2. THE SURVIVAL OF WESSEX 230 878–899 3. THE REORGANIZATION OF DEFENCE: ALFRED’S LAST WARS 231 4. ALFRED’S CONCEPTION OF KINGSHIP: THE FOUNDATION OF ENGLAND 237 CHAPTER 11 THE MAKING OF ENGLAND 248 899–955 1. THE RECONQUEST OF THE DANELAW 249 2. THE INTEGRATION OF WESSEX, MERCIA AND THE SOUTHERN DANELAW 257 3. GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS OF THE ENLARGED KINGDOM 262 899–946 4. THE RESUMPTION OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CONTINENTAL RULERS 278 CHAPTER 12 THE APOGEE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON KINGDOM 281 955–957(9) 1. THE REIGN OF EADWIG 281 957(9)–975 2. THE REIGN OF EDGAR: SECULAR POLITICS 284 899–975 3. ECCLESIASTICAL REFORM 293 CHAPTER 13 THE NADIR OF ANGLO-SAXON KINGSHIP 310 975–978 1. CIVIL WAR AND ANTI-MONASTIC REACTION 310 978–1013 2. THE RESUMPTION OF DANISH RAIDING AND ITS EFFECTS 312 1013–1016 3. THE DANISH CONQUEST 326 CHAPTER 14 THE ANGLO-SCANDINAVIAN KINGDOM 331 1016–1018 1. THE CONSOLIDATION OF CNUT’S AUTHORITY IN ENGLAND 331 1016–1035 2. ENGLAND, THE SCANDINAVIAN EMPIRE AND WESTERN EUROPE 335 3. CNUT’S RULE IN ENGLAND 342 1035–1042 4. HARALD AND HARDECNUT: RESTORATION OF THE OLD DYNASTY 351 EPILOGUE 354 GENEALOGIES 361 NOTE ON BOOKS 365 INDEX 371 INTRODUCTION: THE END OF ROMAN BRITAIN 1 CHAPTER 1. SUB-ROMAN BRITAIN: THE FIRST PHASE OF SAXON OCCUPATION 8 c. 400 – c. 500 1. THE EVIDENCE: LITERARY AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL 8 2. THE PROBLEM OF GILDAS 16 3. THE CONTINENTAL HOMELANDS OF THE INVADERS AND THEIR SETTLEMENT AREAS IN ENGLAND 22 CHAPTER 2. THE SECOND PHASE: THE CHARACTER OF CONQUEST 32 c. 550 – c. 850 1. THE MAKING AND EXPANSION OF WESSEX 32 c. 550 – c. 750 2. THE KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA 39 c. 550 – c. 650 3. THE MIDLANDS 43 4. THE CHARACTER OF CONQUEST AND SETTLEMENT 44 CHAPTER 3. THE CONVERSION OF THE ANGLES AND SAXONS 55 c. 300 – c. 450 1. CHRISTIANITY IN LATE ROMAN AND SUB-ROMAN BRITAIN 55 c. 400 – c. 600 2. CELTIC CHRISTIANITY 58 3. ANGLO-SAXON PAGANISM 63 597–632 4. THE CONVERSION — THE ROMAN MISSION 67 633–664 5. THE CONVERSION — AIDAN: FELIX AND BIRINUS 75 597–664 6. THE VICISSITUDES OF THE MISSIONS: THE CONFLICT OF CELTIC AND ROMAN OBSERVANCES 78 664 7. RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT: THE SYNOD OF WHITBY 82 CHAPTER 4. THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE CHURCH 86 656-716 1. POLITICAL EQUILIBRIUM 86 664-690 2. THE CHURCH AFTER WHITBY. THEODORE OF TARSUS 89 692-731 3. THE CONSOLIDATION OF THEODORE'S ACHIEVEMENT 101 CHAPTER 5. THE EARLY KINGDOMS 108 c. 470 – c. 600 1. THE CREATION OF KINGDOMS 108 c. 600 – c. 716 2. THE CONFLICT FOR HEGEMONY: THE BRETWALDASHIP 113 3. SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE KINGDOMS 121 4. GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS 132 CHAPTER 6. THE KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA 141 670–704 1. NORTHUMBRIA ON THE DEFENSIVE 141 704–865 2. THE DISINTEGRATION OF THE KINGDOM 144 704–865 3. THE NORTHUMBRIAN CHURCH 149 CHAPTER 7. SOUTHERN ENGLAND IN THE EIGHTH CENTURY: THE MERCIAN SUPREMACY 162 716–796 1. POLITICAL NARRATIVE 162 2. THE CHARACTER OF THE MERCIAN SUPREMACY 164 3. THE EFFECTS OF MERCIAN SUPREMACY ON THE CHURCH 170 CHAPTER 8. ENGLAND AND EUROPE 174 c. 450 – c. 700 1. BEFORE THE EIGHTH CENTURY 174 678–806 2. ENGLISH MISSIONS TO THE CONTINENT: ALCUIN 180 3. DIPLOMATIC AND ECONOMIC CONTACTS 191 CHAPTER 9. POLITICAL AND ECCLESIASTICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND 198 796–865 1. MERCIA AND WESSEX 199 796–865 2. THE CHURCH FROM THE DEATH OF OFFA TO THE DANISH CONQUEST 201 793–865 3. THE EARLY PHASES OF DANISH ATTACK 207 CHAPTER 10. KING ALFRED 'THE GREAT' 215 865–878 1. THE GREAT ARMY OF 865 215 2. THE SURVIVAL OF WESSEX 218 878–899 3. THE REORGANIZATION OF DEFENCE: ALFRED’S LAST WARS 219 4. ALFRED’S CONCEPTION OF KINGSHIP: THE FOUNDATION OF ENGLAND 225 CHAPTER 11. THE MAKING OF ENGLAND 236 899–955 1. THE RECONQUEST OF THE DANELAW 237 2. THE INTEGRATION OF WESSEX, MERCIA AND THE SOUTHERN DANELAW 245 3. GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS OF THE ENLARGED KINGDOM 250 899–946 4. THE RESUMPTION OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH CONTINENTAL RULERS 266 CHAPTER 12. THE APOGEE OF THE ANGLO-SAXON KINGDOM 269 955–957(9) 1. THE REIGN OF EADWIG 269 957(9)–975 2. THE REIGN OF EDGAR: SECULAR POLITICS 272 899–975 3. ECCLESIASTICAL REFORM 281 CHAPTER 13. THE NADIR OF ANGLO-SAXON KINGSHIP 298 975–978 1. CIVIL WAR AND ANTI-MONASTIC REACTION 298 978–1013 2. THE RESUMPTION OF DANISH RAIDING AND ITS EFFECTS 300 1013–1016 3. THE DANISH CONQUEST 314 CHAPTER 14. THE ANGLO-SCANDINAVIAN KINGDOM 319 1016–1018 1. THE CONSOLIDATION OF CNUT’S AUTHORITY IN ENGLAND 319 1016–1035 2. ENGLAND, THE SCANDINAVIAN EMPIRE AND WESTERN EUROPE 323 3. CNUT'S RULE IN ENGLAND 330 1035–1042 4. HARALD AND HARDECNUT: RESTORATION OF THE OLD DYNASTY 339 EPILOGUE 342 GENEALOGIES 349 NOTE ON BOOKS 352 INDEX 359