In the year 55 B.C. Julius Caesar invaded Britain, but this was only a show of power, and there was no permanent settlement. The next Roman invasion came in 43. A.D.. The emperor Claudius wanted to stop raids on Gaul from Britain, and so he started the process of invasion which lasted many years. In 61 A.D., the Romans were checked (aufgehalten) for a time by the British queen Boadicea who sacked (plündern) London and the Roman capital of England Camulodonum (now Colchester, in Essex). However, her rebellion was short-lived and by 120 A.D. most of England was under the control of the Romans. In 123 A.D., Hadrian's Wall was built to keep out the tribe (Stamm) of the Picts who were the fiercest enemies (grimmigste Feinde) of the Romans in Scotland.
Although the Romans stayed until after 400 A.D., there was little immigration; the only Roman settlers were soldiers, officials and merchants. They left their mark, however in place (Orts) names: all those place names ending in "-cester, -caster, or -chester" go back to the Latin word for camp, "castra". By this time the Marshland was drained for agriculture and the Romans brought Christianity. In the 3rd century, the first missionaries arrived in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Complete Romanization came in the fourth century.
Early British History
In the year 55 B.C. Julius Caesar invaded Britain, but this was only a show of power, and there was no permanent settlement. The next Roman invasion came in 43. A.D.. The emperor Claudius wanted to stop raids on Gaul from Britain, and so he started the process of invasion which lasted many years. In 61 A.D., the Romans were checked (aufgehalten) for a time by the British queen Boadicea who sacked (plündern) London and the Roman capital of England Camulodonum (now Colchester, in Essex). However, her rebellion was short-lived and by 120 A.D. most of England was under the control of the Romans. In 123 A.D., Hadrian`s Wall was built to keep out the tribe (Stamm) of the Picts who were the fiercest enemies (grimmigste Feinde) of the Romans in Scotland.
Although the Romans stayed until after 400 A.D., there was little immigration; the only Roman settlers were soldiers, officials and merchants. They left their mark, however in place (Orts) names: all those place names ending in "-cester, -caster, or -chester" go back to the Latin word for camp, "castra". By this time the Marshland was drained for agriculture and the Romans brought Christianity. In the 3rd century, the first missionaries arrived in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Complete Romanization came in the fourth century.
In around 400 A.D., the Roman legions began leaving Britain because the central part of the empire began to be invaded by Germanic tribes. Within a few years England was invaded once more by three Germanic tribes: The Angles, The Saxons and the Jutes (Denmark). They were very different from the Celts- they were tall, fair-haired and they were good seamen. Soon they had conquered (erobert) The whole country: The Angles gave their name to the language and the country itself. The Britons (the original Celtic inhabitants) were driven back to the mountainous areas in the west, were the Celtic languages Welsh and Gaelic are still spoken. The words Wales and Welsh come from the Saxon word for foreigner (cf. [confare:for instance] die Welschen). The Anglo-Saxons divided the country into shires (Grafschaften). The Normans later called shires counties.
These Germanic invaders (eindringling) were still heathens (Heiden) and believed in the old Germanic gods. But during the sixth century, Irish missionaries landed in Northunmbria and in 597 England was converted (bekehrt) to Christianity by St. Augustine, who became the first Archbishop (erzbischof) of Canterbury. At this time, there bwere seven kingdoms, which were all loosely (locker) connected with each other: Kent, Sussex, Wessex, Mercia, Essex, East Anglia and Northumbria.
In the eight century, northumbria was the ventre of English culture because there were many monasteries (Klöster), and the monks were the only literate (schriftkundig) people oin a largely illiterate population. The Venerable Bed (673-735) was a Northumbria monk, and he wrote the first history of England. These monasteries were the basis for the civilisation of the middle Ages.
In 789, the Danes or Vikings began to invade Britain. They conquered every kingdom except Wessex, and one of the Wessex kings, Egbert, after defeating (besiegen) the Danes was the first king of all England. The Danes invaded Britain often, and they would demand (fordern) a payment of "Danegeld" from the English before they would go away again.
The greatest king of England during the so-called "dark Ages" was Alfred the Great, Egbert´s grandson. At first he continued to pay Danegeled, but eventually he succeeded in dividing England with the Danes: the "Danelaw". Alfred built castles and forts, he created the first English navy, and he encouraged (fördern) Anglo-Saxon literature (Anglo-Saxon Chronicles). His capital was Winchester.
After Alfred's death, the Danes were driven out from Britain, but they still kept up the attacks, and in 1013, they gained (erlangen)control of the country. Canute, king of England, Denmark and Norway, reigned from1017 to 1035. The Saxons regained power in 1042, when Edward the Confessor, a descendant of Alfred came to the throne: Edward was brought up at the court of Normandy. He spoke French and tried to introduce French customs (Sitten).
William, Duke(GRAF) of Normandy, claimed the English throne because both Endward and Harold, an Anglo-Sachsen nobel man, had promised (versprechen) to make him Edward's successor, and because he was a relative of Edward's family. He defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings: Harold was hit in the eye by an arrow and William became king.
The Normans were Vikings who had settled in Normandy. They were good fighters, and nable rulers. They spoke French, whicj became the language of the aristrocracy and of Parliament for the next 300 years: the English language has an enormous number of words originating from French, although most of the basic words are from Anglo-Saxon.
Willdects of a lord promised to be loyal (treu) to him, if he, in returngave them the use of his land). The head of the feudal system was the King, who granted (zulassen)land to the barons, and it reached down to the lowest peasant ( ), or worker on the land. In 1086 the Domesday Book (tag des jüngsten Gerichtes Buch) was written. This was the first census, every man was expected to state how much Lnd he had, how many cattle, and so on. From this information, the people were taxed (steuer) according to their wealth.
William the first died in 1087, his son William II was killed in a hunting accident in 1100, and then Henry I ascended the throne. He was succeeded in 1135 by Stephen, who gave way to Henry II in 1154. Henry II, also French speaking, was the ruler of England and western France, and overlord ofItreland, Scotland and Wales. In 1154 (elevenfiftyfour) he made his friend Thomas a BecketChancellor, and then Archbishop of Canterbury. Becket began to oppose (gegen) the King, and his influence grew, Henry became angry. After he had expressed his impatience ( ) over Becket's opposition, Becket was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral. But he was made a saint ( ) three years later and Canterbury became a place of pilgrimage. During Henry's reign, the English law system began to take shape, for instance the jury system (geschworenen). After Henry's death in 1189, Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) came to the throne. He spent most of his time on the Crusades in the Middle East. On the way back from the third one he was imprisoned by Leopold V, Duke of Austria. Later freed( ), he died in the Middle East. He is the model of the fighting soldier; in his time he was famous for his bravery ( )and also for his chivalry( ).
Frequently asked questions
What event marks the initial, though temporary, Roman presence in Britain?
Julius Caesar's invasion in 55 B.C. served primarily as a display of Roman power without leading to permanent settlement.
When did the more significant and lasting Roman invasion of Britain occur?
The Roman invasion led by Emperor Claudius commenced in 43 A.D. aiming to quell raids on Gaul originating from Britain.
Who was Boadicea and what role did she play in early British history?
Boadicea, a British queen, led a rebellion in 61 A.D., sacking London and Camulodonum (Colchester). However, this rebellion was short-lived.
What significant structure did the Romans build in 123 A.D. and what was its purpose?
Hadrian's Wall was constructed to defend against the Picts, a tribe from Scotland and formidable enemies of the Romans.
What is the lasting influence of the Romans evident in place names across Britain?
Place names ending in "-cester," "-caster," or "-chester" derive from the Latin word "castra," meaning camp, signifying former Roman settlements.
Besides place names, what other contributions did the Romans make to Britain?
The Romans drained marshland for agriculture and introduced Christianity to the region.
Around what time did Roman legions begin to withdraw from Britain, and why?
Around 400 A.D., Roman legions started leaving Britain due to Germanic tribes invading the central Roman Empire.
Which Germanic tribes invaded England after the Roman departure?
The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invaded England.
What is the origin of the name "England" and what happened to the Celtic Britons?
The Angles named the language and the country. The Britons were driven westward into mountainous areas where Welsh and Gaelic are still spoken.
What were shires, and who later renamed them counties?
The Anglo-Saxons divided the country into shires, which the Normans later termed counties.
What religious shift occurred in England during the sixth century?
England converted to Christianity, spearheaded by Irish missionaries in Northumbria and St. Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, in 597.
Which kingdom served as a significant center of English culture in the eighth century?
Northumbria became a cultural center because of its numerous monasteries and the literacy of its monks.
Who was the Venerable Bede, and what did he contribute to English history?
The Venerable Bede, a Northumbrian monk, authored the first history of England.
Who were the Danes or Vikings, and how did they affect England?
The Danes (Vikings) invaded Britain, conquered many kingdoms, and extracted "Danegeld" (payment) from the English.
Who was Alfred the Great, and what were his accomplishments?
Alfred the Great, a king of Wessex, successfully divided England with the Danes (Danelaw), constructed forts and a navy, and promoted Anglo-Saxon literature.
What happened after Alfred's death regarding Danish control of England?
The Danes were initially driven out, but they later regained control in 1013.
Who was Canute, and what territories did he rule?
Canute was king of England, Denmark, and Norway, reigning from 1017 to 1035.
Who was Edward the Confessor, and what was his connection to Normandy?
Edward the Confessor, a descendant of Alfred, was raised in Normandy and favored French customs.
Why did William, Duke of Normandy, claim the English throne?
William claimed the throne based on promises from Edward and Harold, as well as his familial relation to Edward. He defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings to become king.
What was the impact of the Norman conquest on the English language?
French became the language of the aristocracy and Parliament for 300 years, significantly influencing the English language.
What was the feudal system introduced by the Normans?
The feudal system was a hierarchical structure where lords granted land to vassals in exchange for loyalty, with the King at the top.
What was the Domesday Book and what was its purpose?
The Domesday Book was a census conducted in 1086 to assess land, livestock, and wealth for taxation purposes.
Who succeeded William I, and what were some notable events in subsequent reigns?
William I was succeeded by his son William II. Henry II, another French-speaking ruler, controlled England, western France, and had overlordship over Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Thomas Becket, once Henry's friend and Chancellor and then Archbishop of Canterbury, was murdered after opposing the King, later becoming a saint.
Who was Richard the Lionheart, and how did he spend his time as king?
Richard I (Richard the Lionheart) spent much of his reign on the Crusades in the Middle East, known for his bravery and chivalry.
Who was King John, and why was he an unpopular ruler?
King John was unpopular due to his arrogance, cruelty, and untrustworthiness. He lost English possessions in France and was forced to grant the Magna Carta in 1215.
What was the Magna Carta, and why was it significant?
The Magna Carta was a document that limited the king's power and gave more rights to the barons and common people, establishing that the law was above the ruler's personal will.
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- Martin Slama (Autor:in), 2001, Early British history, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/99613
