Ecbert of Wessex Played by Linus Roacheby The HISTORY Channel (Copyright, fair use). By c. 830 CE, he was the most powerful king in the land and Wessex controlled resources and trade from the south of Britain all the way through to the north. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms. It’s a Ecgberht of Wessex penny, who reigned … +AECCBEAFLH" … The tendency among historians is to either downplay Egbert’s contributions entirely or attribute them to double-dealing or later exaggeration. Ecgberht, King of WessexVue d'ensemble. Ecgberht, King of Wessex primary name: Egbert other name: Ecgberht other name: Egbercht Details individual; ruler; royal/imperial; English; Anglo-Saxon; Male . Beorhtric becomes king of Wessex with Mercian support; Egbert in exile in Francia. By the time Egbert was born in c. 770 CE, Mercia was the dominant power and was ruling Kent through client-kings (as they had, on and off, from as early as 664 CE). Shortly after his death, the first Viking raid struck at West Francia in 820 CE. See Details. Egbert exiles Wiglaf of Mercia; rules Mercia directly. ECGBERHT 802-839 AD KING of WESSEX ANGLO-SAXON SILVER PENNY 1,65 gr. Ancient History Encyclopedia. During the late 8th century, when King Offa of Mercia (reigned 757-96) ruled most of England, Egbert … 19/05/2020 Dernier match 334-255-1 Record 56.61% Pourcentage de victoire Baldred of Kent, client king, deposed by Egbert; Egbert rules Kent with his son Aethelwulf as client king. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. … The Vikings did not engage in battle the same way the West Franks or West Saxons did and, after Charmouth, Egbert knew this and was better prepared for them in 838 CE. 1 This rare West Saxon coinage first emerged under Beorhtric (786–802) and can be traced down to the reign of Æthelred I (865–71). Omissions? Clash Royale CLAN TAG #URR8PPP For the 7th century king of Kent, see Ecgberht of Kent. King Cuthred of Wessex (r. 740-756 CE) had defeated Mercia and elevated Wessex (and so Kent) during his reign but these gains were lost during the reigns of his successors Sigeberht (r. 756-757 CE) and Cynewulf (r. 757-786 CE). Last modified November 19, 2018. He was succeeded by four of his sons in turn, each dying without adult sons of their own to take the throne, until finally his youngest boy became king. Thank you! Offa died in 796 CE and Ecgfrith, his successor, soon after. Egbert of Wessex was born circa 769 to Ealhmund of Kent and died 839 of unspecified causes. In 829 he conquered Mercia itself, but he lost it in the following year to the Mercian king Wiglaf. Fils du roi Ecgberht, il devient le souverain du Kent et des autres royaumes du sud-est de l'Angleterre en 825, après la victoire de son père à la bataille d'Ellendun. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University and Michigan State University and University of Missouri. Egbert was a warrior King of Wessex who managed briefly to dominate the other kingdoms between 802-839 when he died. Although Wessex did not retain the kind of power it had over Mercia after c. 830 CE, Egbert could still mobilize a force and win battles as late as 838 CE, one year before his death. In 850, Æthelbald's elder brother Æthelstan defeated the Vikings in the first recorded sea battle in English history, but he is not recorded afterwards and … Other dates 769-771-839 (birth date uncertain) Biography King of the West Saxons;. Baldred was the client-king of Kent under Beornwulf and his loss would have been significant to Mercia. This assault was easily repelled by the Shore Guard because the Vikings were surprised by the resistance they met; but they would return later in greater force and be far better prepared. To the Scandinavians, Saxons, and Slavs, he seemed invincible on the battlefield and few were willing to contest with him even before the Saxon Wars (722-804 CE) in which Charlemagne conquered Saxony and slaughtered thousands. "King Egbert of Wessex." In 825 he decisively defeated Beornwulf, king of Mercia, at the Battle of Ellendune (now Wroughton, Wiltshire). Ancient History Encyclopedia, 19 Nov 2018. An Anglo-Saxon coin of any description is on the wish-list of lots of detectorists. See Details. Although later scribes quite likely did embellish on Egbert’s lineage to link him with Cerdic, there is nothing in the contemporary accounts which support the claim that Egbert was anything less than a capable and efficient medieval king. Mark, Joshua J. Just as the Vikings were easily defeated by the Shore Guard of West Francia in 820 CE, it is likely that Egbert was defeated in 836 CE for the same reason: he had no idea what to expect from his opponents. The kingdom he stabilized and developed would pass to his successors until it was elevated to its height under the reign of Albert the Great and became the birthplace of the Kingdom of England; that would not have been possible without the contribution of Egbert of Wessex. His father was Ealhmund of Kent. "King Egbert of Wessex." England Around 910 CEby Philg88 (CC BY-SA). Kingship, a worldwide phenomenon, can be elective, as in medieval Germany, but is usually hereditary; it may be absolute or constitutional and…. He was expelled from his kingdom [826] [230] . The entry for 838 CE continues: “When he [Egbert] heard this, he proceeded with his army against them and fought with them at Hengeston where he put to flight both”, winning the field and dispersing the enemy. AR Penny. A year before his death Egbert won a stunning victory over Danish and Cornish Briton invaders at Hingston Down (now in Cornwall). In the 780s Egbert was forced into exile by Offa of Mercia and Beorhtric of Wessex, but on Beorhtric's death in 802 Egbert returned and took the throne.He was the father of Athelwulf of Wessex. Little is known of the first 20 years of Egbert’s reign. Robert Hawker is one of the lucky ones, for he found the Anglo-Saxon coin shown here. Even so, Charlemagne did nothing at this time to upset Offa’s plans in Wessex – possibly because Beorhtric had a legitimate claim to the throne which superseded Egbert’s. Wessex had been under Mercia’s control since 785 CE and there are no records of any military activity under the reign of Beorhtric. He was the second of five sons of King Æthelwulf. In the 780s Egbert was forced into exile by Offa of Mercia and Beorhtric of Wessex, but on Beorhtric's death in 802 Egbert returned and took the throne. It is probable that he did engage in duplicity and back-door deals to achieve his ends but in this, he would have been no different than Charlemagne or any other leader, past or present. Throughout the character’s appearance in Vikings, he is routinely depicted as clever, conniving, and untrustworthy which, as noted, has no historical basis but may draw upon supposition concerning his rise to power and consolidation of Wessex. Crowned at … (2018, November 19). Scholar C. Warren Hollister credits early Viking raids in the region with the consolidation of Wessex’s power in that both Northumbria and Mercia had been destabilized by the Vikings beginning in c. 793 CE (127). Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). During the period when Wiglaf returned as King of Mercia, Sigered is recorded as king of the East Saxons in a lease of land in Hertfordshire dated [829/37] [231] . Web. Please support Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation. At this time, Francia was a united empire under the rule of Charlemagne (King of the Franks 768-814 CE, Holy Roman Emperor 800-814 CE) who protected the young exile. Although there are also no records of any military build-up in Wessex in Egbert’s early reign, this must have been where he concentrated his efforts because, between c. 815-820 CE, he could effectively campaign in Dumnonia and in 825 CE he was able to mount an effective offense against Mercia itself. His current state is unknown, but is presumed dead along with the rest of his family. Burgred. Ealhmund's wife is not known, however, he is identified as the father of: Ecgberht, King of Wessex Many different theories have been suggested for the cause of Mercia’s revival but the most probable is loss of support for Wessex from the Carolingian Empire. This category has the following 4 subcategories, out of 4 total. Ecgberht 771/775 – 839, also spelled Egbert, Ecgbert, or Ecgbriht, Ecgbeorht, was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. Ancient History Encyclopedia. The Ancient History Encyclopedia logo is a registered EU trademark. https://www.ancient.eu/King_Egbert_of_Wessex/. The new coin may be described as follows: Obv. ANGLO-SAXON, Kings of Mercia. The historian Roger Collins, for example, refers to him as “the Kentish adventurer”, not a noble or prince, and credits his later prominence in history to “West Saxon propaganda” (196). 2 Following the lead of Michael Dolley, it has been customary to attribute these pennies to either Southampton or Winchester. Egbert becomes king of Wessex; probable support from. Historian Heather Edwards has suggested that Ealhmund was probably a Kentish royal scion, whose pedigree was forged to give his son Egbert the descent from Cerdic requisite to reigning in Wessex. His father was Ealhmund of Kent. Beorhtric was supported by Offa, however, who sealed a contract with Wessex by marrying his daughter Eadburh to Beorhtric; Egbert was driven into exile and fled to Francia. Reasonator; PetScan; Scholia; Statistics; Search depicted; Subcategories. Egbert (also spelled Ecgberht, Ecgbert or Ecgbriht; 769 or 771 – 839) was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. Mercia had lost territory, power, and prestige but was still ruled by Mercian kings. None of these events has any historical basis but the seamless succession of Aethelwulf, with the support of the church, is the probable historical inspiration. Egbert is often characterized by historians as operating outside the boundaries of acceptable diplomacy. He had succeeded his father originally to the Kingdom of Kent (believed to be … The Vikings were diverse Scandinavian seafarers from Norway, Sweden... Reign of Eahlmund of Kent, Egbert's probable father. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. Mark, J. J. King Æþelwulf of Wessex died on 13th January 858 AD. 25 Jan 2021. He maintained Mercian superiority in the region and Wessex operated as more or less his puppet kingdom. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The son of Ealhmund, king in Kent in 784 and 786, Egbert was a member of a family that had formerly held the West Saxon kingship. Scholars who claim Wessex declined in the 830’s CE point to Egbert’s defeat by the Vikings in 836 CE but this was a single loss to a previously unknown opponent and hardly characterizes a decline. These campaigns were probably encouraged by Dumnonia’s lucrative ports and trade contacts, skill in metalworking, and other resources Egbert would require to enlarge and equip an army. It was not just the magnitude of the empire that posed a challenge, however, but the loss of the commanding presence of Charlemagne. About Egbert, king of Wessex. The empire of the Franks was secure under the reign of Charlemagne but, when he died in 814 CE, he was succeeded by his son Louis the Pious (r. 814-840 CE) who had greater difficulty managing his enormous realm. By c. 830 CE, Wessex controlled resources & trade from the south of Britain all the way through to the north. Egbert remained in exile in Francia at this time but, when Beorhtric died in 802 CE, Charlemagne seems to have supported Egbert’s bid for power and he became king of Wessex. This is long enough to establish an academic consensus against the spelling, and Ecgberht is now much the most common … Wiglaf (r. 827-829, 830-839 CE) then took the throne and did his best to retain some form of Mercian autonomy from Wessex. He married Rædburh of Francia in Wessex. 852-874. When Ecgberht, King of Wessex was born in 0775, in Wessex, his father, Ealhmund of Kent, was 25 and his mother, Princess of Kent name unknown, was 13. In 789 Egbert was driven into exile on the European continent by the West Saxon king Beorhtric and his ally, the powerful Mercian king Offa (d. 796). Issue. Ancient History Encyclopedia Limited is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Between 825-829 CE, Egbert continued expanding his realm at Mercia’s expense. $50.00 0 Bids 3d 14h. Although the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles claim 827 CE as the year of Wessex’s complete supremacy, this date has been challenged by archeological and literary evidence. Egbert of Wessex → Ecgberht, King of Wessex – Wikipedia policy is that titles should reflect reliable sources, and the list of works above shows that, apart from one reprint, the spelling 'Egbert' has not been used in academic works since 2000. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Beornwulf survived the Battle of Ellandun but was killed fighting against the East Angles in 826 CE and was succeeded by Ludeca (r. 826-827 CE) who died in battle the following year trying to complete Beornwulf’s campaign to suppress East Anglia’s revolt. $40.00 0 Bids 17h 2m. In 828 CE he conquered North-Wales and in 829 CE he accepted the submission of the Kingdom of Northumbria and, at the same time, drove Wiglaf from his throne and took direct control of Mercia. Egbert was possibly born in Kent, “the son of the short-lived ruler of that kingdom called Eahlmund r. 784-785 CE” (Collins,196). Egbert, also spelled Ecgberht, or Ecgbryht, (died 839), king of the West Saxons from 802 to 839, who formed around Wessex a kingdom so powerful that it eventually achieved the political unification of England (mid-10th century). Linking Egbert to Cerdic would have enhanced his status and it was a fairly common practice for the scribes of kings to attribute to their liege impressive pedigrees even if they could not be proven. It is probable that Egbert came from Kent, however, and was descended from the king Egbert of Kent (r. 664-673 CE) or, almost certainly, Egbert II (r.765-c.779 CE) the father of Eahlmund. Egbert (Ecgberht in Anglo Saxon) king of Wessex (802-39), and the first Saxon king recognized as sovereign of all England . Even though Mercia would later assert itself and reclaim some of its lands and independence, it would never be the power it had been before Ellandun. Wiglaf regains throne of Mercia; asserts Mercian autonomy. He immediately removed Wessex from the Mercian confederation and consolidated his power as an independent ruler. Æþelwulf was the son of Ecgberht, King of Wessex and he came to the throne, and descended from Ine’s … According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, the Viking-Dumnonia forces seem to have declared war on Wessex and taken up a position in present-day Cornwall, daring Egbert to meet them. Egbert came to the throne at a time when the neighboring Kingdom of Mercia had dominated Wessex and controlled the sitting king Beorhtric (786-802 CE) through an alliance sealed by marriage. His Kentish origin is supported by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles but has been called into question by recent scholarship claiming he was originally from Wessex. His defeat in 836 CE, sometimes attributed to a lack of resources or support from Louis the Pious, could as easily have been caused by lack of preparation and surprise. The … Egbert of Wessex dies; succeeded by son Aethelwulf. This achievement should not be seen as a true unification of the kingdoms it was as fleeting in historical terms, as the supremacy of the Mercian Kings, Ethelbald and Offa. Egbert of Wessex (also spelled Ecgberht, Ecgbert or Ecgbriht; 769 or 771 – 839) was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. This characterization is possibly drawn from the historical Egbert’s initiatives in consolidating his kingdom but is largely fictionalized and without any detailed historical basis. See Details . He seems to have reasserted Wessex’s independence from Mercia but there are no records of how nor of military campaigns between the two kingdoms. Related Content Mercia was an autonomous state by 831 CE, operating without regard to Wessex’s interests, but it was nowhere near as powerful as it had been and never would be again. fled from his cousin Beorhtric, taking refuge in the court of Charlemagne, returning when Beorhtric died, poisoned by his wife. Ecgberht was presumed to become King of Northumbria after the death of his father at the hands of Bjorn and his defeat against the Great Heathen Army. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle entry for that year states how “a great slaughter was made there and the Danes remained masters of the field” indicating a significant victory for the Viking raiders. AR Penny .Duda, moneyer. Ecgberht of Northumbriawasthe son of King Aelle. 796-821. However he conducted the campaign, it was successful. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. Following the outing of Baldred, Egbert claimed kingship of Kent as overlord to Aethelwulf who served as his client king there as well as over Essex, Sussex, and Surrey. Æthelberht was first recorded as a witness to a charter in 854. Æthelbald (died 860) was King of Wessex from 855 to 860. License. He has taught history, writing, literature, and philosophy at the college level. Egbert was gathering the forces which would win the Battle of Ellandun & shatter Mercian supremacy. Ecgberht of Wessex Penny December 18, 2020 December 26, 2020 Peter 0 Comments. In the TV series Vikings, Egbert is seen granting land to Viking settlers he will later betray, sending Aethelwulf to slaughter the Viking settlement, and later granting land to other Vikings when he has earlier secretly abdicated rule to Aethelwulf. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. The Chronicles note a string of victories following Ellandun and in 827 CE states: “Egbert, in the course of the same year, conquered the Mercian kingdom, and all that is south of the Humber, being the eighth king who was sovereign of all the British dominions.”. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Throughout his reign, Charlemagne had engaged almost incessantly in successful military campaigns. He established his rule over Kent, Essex, Sussex, Cornwall, much of modern Wales, and set his sights on Mercia, the erstwhile though oft-contested dominant power in Britain. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. The Vikings appear to have made a treaty with the Cornish people of Dumnonia, who had been subject to Wessex since Egbert’s campaigns in c. 815 CE. He died in 0839, in his hometown, at the age of 64, and was buried in Winchester, Hampshire, England. Corrections? thirty-two surviving coins issued under Ecgberht, king of the West Saxons (802–39), from a mint (or mints) in Wessex. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/King_Egbert_of_Wessex/. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2021) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. King Egbert of Wessex. Cenwulf of Mercia died in 821 CE and was succeeded by his brother Ceolwulf I (r. 821-823 CE) who was then deposed by the nobleman Beornwulf (r. 823-826 CE) while Egbert was gathering his forces which would win the Battle of Ellandun and shatter Mercian supremacy. Ecbert appreciates that the Roman gods allowed them rule the world and grasps the implications of that notion. Even so, it is possible that Egbert descended from Cerdic and a West Saxon noble who was also connected to the Kingdom of Kent would not have been unusual. Historically, Ecgberht was installed by the Vikings as a puppet king of Northumbria in … The victory was a turning point in English history because it destroyed Mercian ascendancy and left Wessex the strongest of the English kingdoms. Under Egbert, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Essex, and Mercia, along with parts of Dumnonia, were conquered. Nothing is known of his youth beyond his possible relation to Eahlmund and the claim that he could trace his ancestry back to Cerdic (r. 519-540 CE), the founder and first king of Wessex. ANGLO-SAXON, Kings of Mercia. THE COINAGE OF ECGBEORHT, KING OF WESSEX, 802-39 By C. E. BLUNT THE recent discovery in Gloucestershire of a new variety of the early penny of Ecgbeorht, with a head of the king similar to that found on the coins of Baldred of Kent, has prompted me to put down some notes on the coinage of the Wessex king. He takes Athelstan into his confidence, sensing that men like his son, the devout Prince [[Aethelwulf]], and his advisor, the Bishop [[Edmund]], wo… At his death, he was so powerful that the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles refer to him as Ruler of Britain, not just King of Wessex. Sculpture of Charlemagne - Abbey of Saint John at Müstair, by The HISTORY Channel (Copyright, fair use). The entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles for 825 CE reads: Egbert, king of the West-Saxons, and Beornwulf, king of Mercia, fought a battle at Wilton [modern day Wiltshire], in which Egbert gained the victory, but there was great slaughter on both sides. Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization. Kent defeated Mercia in battle c. 776 CE under the reign of Egbert II and maintained its independence through the reign of Eahlmund but King Offa of Mercia (r. 757-796 CE) reasserted his power in 785 CE and again took control of the kingdom. Ecgberht (771/775 – 839), also spelled Egbert, Ecgbert, or Ecgbriht, Ecgbeorht, was King of Wessex from 802 until his death in 839. Coenwulf. Ecgberht, King of Wessex. By virtue of long-dormant hereditary claims, Egbert was accepted as king in Kent, Sussex, Surrey, and Essex. His father was Ealhmund of Kent.In the 780s Ecgberht was forced into exile to Charlemagne's court in the Frankish Empire by Offa of Mercia and Beorhtric of Wessex, but on Beorhtric's death in 802 Ecgberht returned and took the throne. $50.00 0 Bids 4d 12h. Even so, contrary to the claims of a number of scholars, it is not as though Wessex declined in power after 830 CE. For the 7th century king of Kent, see Ecgberht of Kent. Our latest articles delivered to your inbox, once a week: Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Egbert seems to have taken time to assemble his military and resources and then met the Mercian armies and defeated them at the Battle of Ellandun in 825 CE. Egbert of Wessex campaigns in Dumnonia; conquers region. The nobleman Cenwulf of Mercia (r. 798-821 CE) took the throne (probably after assassinating Ecgfrith) and continued Offa’s policies regarding Wessex and its king. What exactly the Vikings did after the Battle of Charmouth is unknown but there is no doubt they remained in the region because, in 838 CE, they and the army of Dumnonia met Egbert and his army at the Battle of Hingston Down. His Kentish origin is supported by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles but has been called into question by recent scholarship claiming he was originally from Wessex. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... King, a supreme ruler, sovereign over a nation or a territory, of higher rank than any other secular ruler except an emperor, to whom a king may be subject. As king of Wessex, Egbert set about earning his royal spurs. The entry in the Chronicles for 825 CE stating that Egbert sent Aethelwulf to Kent to depose Baldred is considered off by a few months or a year and that probably happened in 826 CE. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Nevertheless, Egbert succeeded to Beorhtric’s throne in 802. +SVVEFNEARD. Charlemagne seems to have disliked Offa as it is said he was outraged when Offa proposed an alliance which would be sealed by the marriage of Offa’s son Ecgfrith (r. 796 CE) to one of Charlemagne’s daughters, Bertha. His father was Ealhmund of Kent.In the 780s Ecgberht was forced into exile to Charlemagne's court in the Frankish Empire by Offa of Mercia & Beorhtric of Wessex, but on Beorhtric's death in 802 Ecgberht famous and took a throne.