ALFRED THE GREAT

ALFRED THE GREAT
   king of the West Saxons, and the most celebrated and greatest of all the Saxon kings. His troubles were with the Danes, who at the time of his accession infested the whole country north of the Thames; with these he fought nine battles with varied success, till after a lull of some years he was surprised by Gunthrum, then king, in 878, and driven to seek refuge on the island of Athelney. Not long after this he left his retreat and engaged Gunthrum at Edington, and after defeating him formed a treaty with him, which he never showed any disposition to break. After this Alfred devoted himself to legislation, the administration of government, and the encouragement of learning, being a man of letters himself. England owes much to him both as a man and a ruler, and it was he who in the creation of a fleet laid the first foundation of her greatness as monarch of the deep. His literary works were translations of the "General History" of Orosius, the "Ecclesiastical History" of Bede, Boëthius's "Consolations of Philosophy," and the "Cura Pastoralis" of Pope Gregory, all executed for the edification of his subjects (849-901).

The Nuttall Encyclopaedia. . 1907.

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  • Alfred the Great — • King of the West Saxons (849 899) Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Alfred the Great     Alfred the Great     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Alfred the Great — A.D. 849 899; king of Wessex (871 899): put an end to Dan. conquests in England: promoted Eng. culture …   English World dictionary

  • Alfred the Great — Infobox British Royalty|Monarch name =Alfred the Great title =King of the Anglo Saxons caption =Statue of Alfred the Great, Winchester reign =23 April 871 ndash; 26 October 899 predecessor =Æthelred of Wessex successor =Edward the Elder issue… …   Wikipedia

  • Alfred the Great — (849 899)    The most important and influential of the Saxon kings of England, Alfred has been known as the Great since the sixteenth century. As king of Wessex he was involved in a prolonged struggle with the Danes, who invaded England almost… …   Encyclopedia of Barbarian Europe

  • Alfred the Great — (ca. 848–899)    Alfred the Great was king of Wessex from 871 to 899, and was successful in defending his kingdom from Danish invaders and even in expanding his holdings at the expense of the Danes. But beyond preserving an independent Anglo… …   Encyclopedia of medieval literature

  • Alfred the Great — Statue Alfreds des Großen bei Winchester. Alfred der Große (auch Ælfred von Altenglisch: Ælfrēd) (* zwischen 847 und 849 in Wantage (Oxfordshire); † 26. Oktober 899), ab 871 König der West Sachsen (Wessex) und ab etwa 886 der Angelsachsen, war… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Alfred the Great — noun king of Wessex; defeated the Vikings and encouraged writing in English (849 899) • Syn: ↑Alfred • Instance Hypernyms: ↑king, ↑male monarch, ↑Rex * * * A.D. 849 899, king of the West Saxons 871 899. * * * Alfred the Great [Alfred the Great …   Useful english dictionary

  • Alfred the Great (disambiguation) — *Alfred the Great (c. 849 ndash;899) is an early English king.Alfred the Great may also refer to:*Alfred (bishop), 10th century Bishop of Sherborne * Alfred the Great (comics), comic by Al Colombia * Alfred the Great (film), 1969 film …   Wikipedia

  • Alfred the Great (film) — Infobox Film name = Alfred the Great caption = director = Clive Donner producer = Bernard Smith writer = James R. Webb Ken Taylor starring = David Hemmings Michael York Colin Blakely Ian McKellen Peter Vaughan Alan Dobie Julian Glover Jim Norton… …   Wikipedia

  • Alfred the Great — Al|fred the Great (849 899) king of Wessex (871 899), the southwestern part of England …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Alfred the Great — Al′fred the Great′ [[t]ˈæl frɪd, frɛd[/t]] n. anh big a.d. 849–899, king of the West Saxons 871–899 …   From formal English to slang

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