King · 849 – 899
Alfred the Great
Key Takeaways
- Alfred the Great defended Anglo-Saxon England against Viking invasion.
- He is the only English king ever given the title 'the Great'.
- He reformed law, revived learning, and rebuilt towns and defenses.
- He laid the foundations for a unified Kingdom of England.
When Viking armies overran the kingdoms of England one by one, only Wessex held — and it held because of one king. Alfred the Great is the only English monarch history has ever crowned with the title “the Great.”
The king who held the line
In the 870s the Vikings nearly conquered Wessex, driving Alfred into hiding in the marshes. He rallied his people and won a decisive victory at the Battle of Edington, securing a peace that saved Anglo-Saxon England. He then built a network of fortified towns and a navy so that the raids could never again come so close to victory.
Lawgiver and scholar
Alfred was more than a warrior. Inspired by the example of Charlemagne, he issued a new law code, revived learning, and even helped translate Latin works into English himself. He laid the foundations for the unified kingdom that his successors completed — and that William the Conqueror would later seize. A king of the Middle Ages, Alfred is honored as a father of the English nation.
Influence
Alfred preserved Anglo-Saxon England in its darkest hour and built the institutions of law, defense and learning on which a unified England would rise.
Legacy
The only English monarch known as 'the Great', he is celebrated as a founder of the English nation.
Connections
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Alfred the Great?
Alfred the Great (849–899 AD) was the king of Wessex who defended England against the Vikings and reformed its law and learning — the only English king called 'the Great'.
Why is Alfred called 'the Great'?
For saving Anglo-Saxon England from Viking conquest and for his reforms of law, defense, learning and religion, he earned a title no other English monarch holds.
Citations & Sources
People Like Alfred
William the Conqueror
84William the Conqueror was the Duke of Normandy who invaded England in 1066, won the Battle of Hastings, and became its king, transforming English society, language and government in one of the most consequential conquests in history.
Why A later conqueror of the England that Alfred had helped unite and defend.
Charlemagne
89Charlemagne was the King of the Franks who united much of Western Europe and was crowned Emperor in 800 AD, reviving the idea of a Roman empire in the West and sparking a cultural revival.
Why An earlier ruler whose revival of learning and law inspired Alfred's own reforms.
Elizabeth I
89Elizabeth I was Queen of England from 1558 to 1603, whose long and stable reign — the Elizabethan era — saw a golden age of culture, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and England's rise as a sea power.
Why A later celebrated English monarch in the line of kingdom-builders Alfred began.
Robert the Bruce
83Robert the Bruce was the Scottish king who won Scottish independence from England, defeating Edward II's army at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 and securing recognition of Scottish sovereignty in the Treaty of Edinburgh-Northampton in 1328.
Why Also a king & military leader · Active in the same era
Clovis I
80Clovis I was the king who united the Frankish tribes into a single kingdom and converted to Catholic Christianity, founding the Merovingian dynasty and laying the foundations of medieval France.
Why Also a king & military leader · Active in the same era
Shivaji
80Shivaji was the warrior-king who founded the Maratha Empire in western India, a brilliant guerrilla commander who challenged the mighty Mughal Empire and built a state celebrated for its administration and naval power.
Why Also a king & military leader · Active in the same era