What languages were spoken in Roman Britain?

The Latin language was used alongside the Celtic languages and a lot of Latin words were borrowed: port, pepper, box, chalk, paper, circle, post, peace, way (via), wall, street. Like so much else in Roman life the Latin language was rational and pragmatic, a product of careful engineering; for this reason it is taught all over the world for over 2000 years to help students learn the basic machinery of language.

When and why did the Romans leave Britain?

In the 4 AD the power of the Roman Empire gradually weakened. The Picts, Scots, Saxons invaded Gaul in 406, and in 407-410 the Roman legions were recalled from Britain to defend the central provinces of the Roman Empire. This was the end of Roman invasion in Britain. The fall of the Roman Empire is considered to be the end of ancient history.

What did the Romans introduce in the life of the ancient islanders?

Christianity (began to spread in the late 2 c., The Celtic Church)

Roman roads, towns

Growth of culture

Spread of literature

The Latin language

What Germanic tribes invaded Britain from the Continent in the 5th century? - 449

The Jutes,The Angles,The Saxons (plunder - then conquer) , Heptarchy (6 c. – end of 6rh century

What do you know about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table?

• The Celts - the prehistoric pattern of warring tribes - in need of a unifying leader. King Arthur was a legendary ruler of the Britons who was found naked as a child on the coast by Merlin, a wizard, and became King by taking out the sword from the stone (Excalibur [eks'kælɪbə]). The queen was Guinevere. They lived in a castle at Camelot.
• Arthur became king of the Britons when he was only a boy. Arthur pulled out the sword in the anvil instead and brought it to Sir Kay.
• All the knights had places around the Round Table, which had been made by Merlin. As the table was round, there was no head and no foot and all the knights were equal. The most famous knights were Sir Lancelot, Sir Gawain [səː'gɑːweɪn], Sir Tristran, Sir Galahad [səː'gæləhæd]. Sir Lancelot was the strongest knight of all. No one was able to defeat him. Sir Galahad, his son, was the purest knight. He was allowed to see the Holy Grail.
• King Arthur was killed by his nephew, Sir Modred. The battle between them happened and Modred's army was defeated. But before his own death, Modred struck Arthur over the head.
• The place where Arthur's castle is supposed to have stood remains a mystery. There are about six different sites in England that claim to be the location of Camelot. Many of the stories say that Arthur lived in Cornwall. Tintagel castle (1233) is situated in North-Cornish Coast.

What was Merlin famous for?

He is a wise man who loves little Arthur and teaches him science and literacy patiently. He can do magic and fore tell the future. The magician, Arthur’s tutor and advisor.

When was Britain converted into Christianity? Why does the tradition of visiting Canterbury Cathedral continue to this day? How did the new faith influence the life of the Anglo-Saxons?

In 597 the Roman Pope sent about 40 monks to Britain to convert the Anglo-Saxon to Christianity. A monk called Augustine landed in Kent which became the 1st kingdom to be conquered. The 1st church was built in Canterbury that is why Archbishop of Canterbury is now head of the Church of England. It brought about important changes in the life of Anglo-Saxons.

• new churches and monasteries which became centers of knowledge with school and libraries, The learnt men used Latin, so it was again heard in Britain.
• the country - more unified
• literacy began to grow
• trade with the Continent began to develop
• the monk named Bede wrote Ecclesiastical History of the English people’
• the monk Alcuin - school textbooks

Which of the Anglo-Saxon kings deserved the title of 'Great'? What were his great accomplishments?

Egberd’s son is King Alfred who became known in English history as Alfred ‘The Great’ (871-899).

· In 871 he defeated the Vikings in Wessex.

· He strengthened Wessex by building a fleet, creating a more effective system of military recruitment and constructed a system of fortified towns.

· Forced the Danes to come to terms – to accept Christianity and live within the frontiers of the Danelaw (East Anglia, Northumbria, and a part of Mercia)

· K.A. was quick to learn from his enemies: he created an efficient army and built a fleet of warships on a Dannish pattern which were known to have defeated Viking invaders at sea more than once.

· The England of K.A. ‘The Great’ received a new Code of laws which raised the standards of English society.

· New churches were built, foreign scholars were brought, and schools were founded.

· K.A. himself translated a number of books from Latin including Bede’s book and began the Anglo – Saxon chronicle.

· ‘The Great’ saved England from the Danish Conquest.

What languages were spoken in Anglo-Saxon Britain?

Old English, sometimes called Anglo-Saxon, was the language spoken under Alfred the Great and continued to be the common language of England (non-Danelaw) until the Norman Conquest (days of week: Sunday – the sun’s day, Monday – the Moon’s day, Tuesday – Tiw, Wednesday – Woden, Thursday – Thor, Friday – Freya, Saturday – Saturn), Latin language.

What is the great mythological poem written in the West Saxon dialect of Old English? What is it about?

The famous A-S poem Beowulf  describes the arm and the armour of the A-S warriors. B. is an A-S epic poem. It is written between 672 and 782. There is an important source of information about the life of the A-S and their language.

When did the Scandinavian invasion begin? Who were the Vikings?

793 - the 1^st raid

865 - came to conquer (failed in Wessex 838, 871)

Reason - shortage of farmland in Scandinavia.

From the end of 8^th century during the 11^th centuries West of Europe was troubled by the Vikings.

The Vikings were from the same Germanic origin and the A-S themselves. They discovered America 500 years before Chirstopher Colombus. They were from Norway, Sweden and Denmark. They were skillful sailors, navigating storming Atlantic. Their ships were fast and light powered by sails or by men rowing. They were adventurous travelers journeying Eastwards through Russia and sailing Westward across the sea to island, Greenland, Ireland and France. They were good farmers and fishermen, merchants and craftworkers. They worshiped pagan gods. They were brave in battles, killed as many as possible. They used swords, spears and axes and protected themselves with metal helmets and wooden shields.

Who was the Anglo-Saxon king before the Norman Conquest?

Edward the Confessor (1042-1066)

Edward was known as 'the Confessor' because of his deep piety. Edward was the son of King Ethelred II the Unready. He spent many years as a refugeefrom the Vikings in Normandy. When he returned, he devoted his attention to the construction of churches and most of all to the construction of Westminster Abbey.

Much of his reign was peaceful and prosperous but overshadowed by the problem of succession. (Harold Godwinson of Wessex, William Duke of Normandy)