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The Ancient Celtics were those ancient inhabitants of the island of Great Britain who spoke the Celtic Common Brittonic language, which diversified into a group of related Celtic languages such as Welsh, Cornish, Pictish, Cumbric and Breton. The Britons lived all over the island of Great Britain. Ireland was inhabited by a different group of Celts, speaking Gaelic. -
Julius Caesar invaded Britain twice: in 55 and 54 BC. On the first occasion Caesar took with him only two legions, and achieved little beyond a landing on the coast. The second invasion consisted of 628 ships, five legions and 2,000 cavalry. The force was so imposing that the Britons did not dare contest Caesar's landing, waiting instead until he began to move inland. Caesar eventually penetrated into the hinterland and crossed the Thames, forcing the celtics to surrender. -
The Roman conquest of Britain refers to the conquest of the island of Britain by occupying Roman forces. It began in 43 under Emperor Claudius, and was largely completed in the southern half of Britain. Conquest of the far north and Scotland took longer with success. -
Roman rule ended in different parts of Britain at different times and under different circumstances. Around 410, the Roman-British expelled the magistrates of Constantine III who left the island victim of barbaric attacks by withdrawing his troops. And so in this way, around the middle of the 6th century, Roman control of Britain was completely lost. -
Anglo-Saxon Englans was divided into seven kingdoms: Kent, Northumbria, East Angilia, Mercia, Essex, Wessex, and Sussex. This period is known ad the "Heptarchy". -
Viking raids began in England in the late 8th century, primarily on monasteries.The first monastery to be raided was in 793 at Lindisfarne, off the northeast coast, and the first recorded raid being at Portland in 789. Monasteries and churches were popular targets as they were wealthy and had valuable objects that were portable. -
As the Vikings prepared large armies ready to conquer the whole island, king Alfred united the Anglo-Saxon people against the Danes. The Danes maintained possession of north-eastern England – the Danelaw – but left Wessex undisturbed. Anglo-Saxon England continued to flourish after Alfred’s death. -
The Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066 between the Norman-French army of William, the Duke of Normandy, and an English army under the Anglo-Saxon King Harold Godwinson, beginning the Norman conquest of England. It took place approximately 11 km northwest of Hastings, close to the present-day town of Battle, East Sussex, and was a decisive Norman victory. -
William (1028 – 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror, was the first Norman monarch of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087. By 1060, following a long struggle to establish his throne, his hold on Normandy was secure. In 1066, William invaded England, leading an army of Normans to victory over the Anglo-Saxon forces at the Battle of Hastings, and suppressed subsequent English revolts in what has become known as the Norman Conquest.