This profile of Alfred the Great is part of
Who's Who in Medieval History
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Who's Who in Medieval History
A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Alfred the Great was also known as: Alfred of Wessex; also spelled Aelfred
Alfred the Great was noted for: Resisting the Danes and uniting the various English kingdoms under one rule. A promoter of learning as well as a skillful military leader and administrator, Alfred is the only English king to be labeled "the Great."
Occupations:
Places of Residence and Influence:
Quotation from Alfred the Great:
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"I desired to live worthily as long as I lived, and to leave after my life, to the men who should come after me, the memory of me in good works."
-- an interpolation by Alfred in his translation of Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy, chapter 17
Achievements of Alfred the Great:
- Successfully resisted the Danes in a series of battles
- Strengthened and reorganized Wessex defenses and armed forces
- Established friendly diplomatic relations with other English kingdoms and the Welsh
- Issued laws limiting the practice of blood feuds
- Promoted learning and literature, inviting scholars from neighboring nations and Europe to his court
- Encouraged his subjects to learn to read English
- Learned Latin and translated some important works into English himself
- Fostered an atmosphere of literary endeavor, and may have been responsible for the creation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Biography of Alfred the Great :
For a concise introduction to Alfred's life story, visit your Guide's Biography of Alfred the Great.
More Alfred Resources:
Biography of Alfred the Great
Encyclopedia Article about Alfred the Great
Portrait of Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great in Print
Alfred the Great on the Web
Medieval & Renaissance Monarchs of England
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Dark-Age Britain
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