Anglo Saxon

Early Indo-Europeans

5000 BCE

Reached Britain

Permanent settlements

800 BCE

Converted from Hunter Gatherers

Goidelic Celts in Ireland

600 BCE

Arrived from Northern Italy

Brythonic Cets in Britain

500 BCE

Arrived from Northern Italy

Caesar's Gallic Wars

Period: 58 BCE to 51 BCE

Romans

55 BCE

Roman Raids on Britain

Period: 55 BCE to 54 BCE

Claudius' Invasion

43

Britain as a Roman Province

Period: 43 to 410

Hadrian's Wall

122

Antonius' Wall

142

Constantine Crowned Emperor in York

306

Visigoths invade Rome under Alaric

410

Celts and Romans in the South now unprotected from Picts and Irish Celts due to lack of Roman Troops

Anglo-Saxons

449

Led by Hengest and Horsa they arrive, drive the invading Goidelic Celts away to the West and settle in the South.

Germanic Age

Period: 450 to 600

St. Columba arrives at Iona

563

Irish Mission to spread Christianity

565

St. Columba starts Converting Scotland.

Roman Mission to spread Christianity

597

St. Augustine starts Converting the South of Britain

Golden Age of Learning

Period: 600 to 800

Conversion and expansion (Amalgamation)

Period: 600 to 800

King Edwin of Northumbria Converted

627

Through his wife Ethelberga.

Osric Becomes King

633

Edwin's Pagan Cousin

Oswald becomes King of Northumbria

634

Spreads Christianity even further. He was converted by Irish which clashed with the Roman Christianity.

Aldhelm (poet)

Period: 639 to 709

-Educated by Theodore and Hadrian.
-From a noble Family, related to kings of Wessex.
-Abbot, Bishop, Scholar, Poet
-De Laude Virginitates
-Wrote Poetry in English?

Oswiu Succeeds Oswald

642

His Brother. He marries the Roman Christian Eanfled of Kent (and daughter of Edwin)

Synod of Whitby

664

Choice between following Rome or Irish Christian customs through: 1. Correct date for Easter, 2. Tonsure (religious hairdo). Outcome in favour of Roman to strengthen ties with mainland Europe.

Bede

Period: 672 to 735

-Entered monastery at age of 7
-Prolific writer and polymath
-Historiography (Historia ecclestiastica gentis Anglorum)
-Hagiography, Theology, Computus, Natural sciences.
-Poetry, Orthography, etc.
-Very influential, still read today.

School of Theodore and Hadrian

680

Theodore of Tarsus, the Archbishop of Canterbury (669-690) and Hadrian, abbot of St. Augustine's Abbey Canterbury (669-710) founded this school to teach students the holy scriptures, poetry, astronomy and the calculation of the church calendar.

Caedmon's Hymn composed

680

First appeared in Latin in Bede's Ecclesiastical History.

First OE copies of Caedmon's hymn found

730

Publishing of Bede's Ecclesiastical History

731

Death of Bede

735

Alcuin

Period: 735 to 804

-Leading Scholar at the court of Charlemagne
-Advisor to Charlemagne
- Writer and polymath: Grammar, Mathematics, Orthography, Poetry, etc.
- "Quid enim Hinieldus cum Christo?"
~From a Letter to Bishop Higbald of Lindisfarne (797)

Viking Era starts

793

Attack on Lindisfarne

793

Viking Raid on the Church at Lindisfarne

Struggle for Survival (Viking Attacks)

Period: 800 to 1016

Vikings make their first winter camp on British soil

851

Ælfred is sent to Rome

853

At the age of four. He was made a Consul there.

Viking Army Arrives in East Anglia

865

These Danes set up winter camp and the locals made peace with them by giving them horses. They intended to conquer all four kingdoms that constituted Anglo-Saxon England in 865

ÆÞelred of Wessex became king

865

First Permanent Viking Settlement

866

in East Anglia

ÆÞelflaed, Lady of the Mercians

Period: 870 to 918

Oldest daughter of King Alfred. Married to ÆÞelred of Mercia, who dies in 911. She becomes ruler of Mercia.

Battle of Englefield

Dec 31, 870

Succesful Skirmish for Alfred in Berskshire.

King Ælfred the Great

Period: 871 to 899

Stops vikings advancing. Promotes learning by having important works translated into English. Extensive Military, Social and Political Reform.

Battle of Reading

Jan 5, 871

Severe defeat for Ælfred

Battle of Ashdown

Jan 8, 871

Anglo-Saxon Victory, Ælfred is credited.

Battle of Basing

Jan 22, 871

Saxons are defeated

Battle Of Merton

Mar 22, 871

Ælfred is defeated.

ÆÞelred is Struck down and Dies

Apr 23, 871

Only English Kingdom left is Wessex

878

All others have fallen to the vikings.

Danish attack on Chippenham

878

A royal stronghold, King Ælfred flees to Athelney through the marshes of Somerset

Battle of Eddington (Edington/Ethandun)

May 7, 878

After the battle Viking Leader Guthum is baptised as a part of the "deal" with king Ælfred and forced to agree to the Treaty of Wedmore.

Treaty of Wedmore

May 8, 878

Peace settlement with the Viking leader Guthrum. Ælfred succeeds Ceolwulf's kingdom (Western Mercia). Vikings settle north of Watling Street, into an enlarged kingdom of East Anglia; the Danelaw area

Asser published "Vita Ælfredi"

893

A Biography of king Ælfred the Great.

King ÆÞelstan

Period: 895 to 939

Unites England and Subdues North Britain. First King of England.
ruled 924 - 939.

Ælfred's death

899

ÆÞelflaed's Army captures Derby

917

ÆÞelflaed dies, her daughter Ælfwynn takes over.

918

Edward later intervenes and takes personal control

Battle of Brunanburh

937

ÆÞelstan defeats combined army of Vikings, Dublin Vikings and Scots (Strathclyde).

Benedictine Reform

Period: 950 to 1025

Power shifts to the monasteries. Men and Women now have seperated monateries. Regular Clergy rises.

Ælfric of Eynsham (scholar)

Period: 955 to 1010

• Monk and later Abbot of Eynsham
• Sermons and Religious Doctrine
• Natural Science

Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson

Period: 958 to 986

As King of Denmark

King Edgar

Period: 959 to 975

Reform of Monastic Life, Revival of Learning, English used as a language of Learning.

Exeter Book

960

Contains Riddels, Wisdom Poetry and Elegies.

Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson

Period: 970 to 986

As King of Norway

Byrthferth (scholar)

Period: 970 to 1020

• Natural Sciences
• Manual (Enchiridion), a scientific textbook

Vercelli book

975

Dated: second half of the 10th Century.
Main contents: Dream of the Rood, Homilies, Hagiographical texts.

King ÆÞelraed Unraed

Period: 978 to 1016

"The Unready"

Battle of Maldon

991

ÆÞelraed antagonises Anglo-Saxons and pays Danegold

King Cnut

Period: 995 to 1035

Reigned 1016 - 1035.

Second Wave of Viking Attacks

1000

Harald & Swein are Christian (at least in name)

Most important Sources of Poetry

1000

-Junius Manuscript
-Vercelli Book
-Exeter Book
-Beowulf Manuscript

St. Brice's Day Massacre

1002

ÆÞelraed antagonises Vikings

Scandinavian kings take over Britain

1013

King Cnut ascends the throne

1016

He reigns until his death in 1035

Christianity Consolidated (union)

Period: 1016 to 2019

Death of Wulfstan of York (Scholar)

1023

• Advisor to king Cnut
• State Administration

Junius Manuscript

1025

Dated: Early 11th Century
Main Contents: Genesis, Exodus, Christ and Satan

Nowell Codex (/Beowulf Manuscript)

1025

Dated: Early 11th Century.
Main Contents: Wonders of the East, Beowulf, Judith

Normans

1066

King Edward the Confessor Passes Away

Jan 5, 1066

Three claimants to the throne; Harold Godwinson (his brother in law, supported by AS), King Harald Hardrada of Norway (Viking Support) and Duke William of Normandy (Promised Kingship by Edward himself)

Battle of Stamford Bridge

Sep 25, 1066

Harold Hardrada loses, Harold Godwinson Wins.

Battle of Hastings

Oct 14, 1066

Harold Godwinson loses; William of Normandy wins. Harold had the High Ground but his infantry couldn't beat William's archers & Cavalry and can't penetrate their Shield Wall. Harold presumably killed by arrow to the eyeball.

Sir Robert Bruce Cotton

Period: 1571 to 1631

-Antiquarian and Bibliophile.
-Purchased and preserved old manuscripts in his Ashburnam House.
-His collection became the basis for the British Library.

Cottonian Fire

1731

Sir Robert Burce Cotton's Ashburnam House burns down. 1/4 of all manuscripts are destroyed. The original of "the battle of Maldon" is destroyed but a transcript survived.