History of Roman Britain Timeline

Old English Literature Lectures 1 & 2

• Lectures cover the historical background and literary forms of Old English literature
• Lecture 1 focuses on historical context
• Lecture 2 explores Anglo-Saxon poetry and prose

Britons and Invaders (800,000 BCE - 1066 CE)

• Early signs of human settlement in Britain date back to 800,000 BCE
• Periods of abandonment and re-occupation due to ice ages
• Arrival of Homo sapiens sapiens after 40,000 BCE
• Agriculture arrived around 4,000 BCE, leading to settled villages and monumental structures
• Stonehenge dates to around 2150 BCE
• By 200 BCE, the population of Britain reached approximately 2 million
• Growing wealth and trade attracted invaders

Roman Invasions and Conquest (55 BCE - 43 CE)

• Julius Caesar's expeditions in 55 and 54 BCE were unsuccessful
• Emperor Claudius successfully invaded in 43 CE
• Roman rule lasted for roughly 4 centuries (43-410 CE)
• Hadrian's Wall, built around 122 CE, marked the northern border of the Empire

Britain - A Roman Province (43-410 CE)

• Roman Britain experienced a period of peace and prosperity in the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE
• Roman influence led to the development of new towns, roads, and administrative systems
• Latin became the language of administration and education
• Celtic traditions and beliefs remained in rural areas

End of Empire (Mid-3rd Century - 410 CE)

• Britain's period of economic decline began in the mid-3rd century CE
• Barbarian invasions (Saxons, Picts, Scots) posed major threats
• Roman withdrawal began in the early 5th century CE due to various factors
• The withdrawal of the Roman army left the British rulers to face the invaders alone
• A period of confusion and the rise of new tribal identities followed the fall of Roman rule in Britain

Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms

• Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, Jutes) arrived in Britain around 449 CE
• Gradually established kingdoms, the primary seven known as the Heptarchy (Kent, Sussex, Essex, East Anglia, Wessex, Mercia, and Northumbria)
• Anglo-Saxon kingship had roots in the north European Germanic custom
• By the 8th century, kingdoms developed increasingly sophistical systems of rule
• Viking raids in the 8th and 9th centuries weakened and eventually destroyed most of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, except Wessex.

Viking Raids, Anglo-Saxon Kings, and Danish Rule

• Viking raids and settlements increased from the 990s
• Danish rule under King Canute lasted for a quarter century (1016-1035)
• The reign of Edward the Confessor (1042-1065) marked a restoration of Anglo-Saxon rule
• The Norman conquest of 1066 brought an end to Anglo-Saxon rule

Old English Poetry

• Old English poetry was primarily oral before being written down; survived in 4 manuscripts
• Common themes included war, religion, and the trials of daily life
• Significant poems include Caedmon's Hymn (dated ≈670)
• Poems like Beowulf and the Battle of Maldon are examples of long poems that presented a shared heroic past.

Old English Manuscripts

• Old English literature is preserved in manuscripts
• Important manuscripts include the Junius Manuscript, Vercelli Book, and Exeter Book

Christian England

• Christian missionaries arrived in the late 6th century and rapidly spread Christianity
• Monasteries played a central role in preserving and developing religious and literary traditions
• The Venerable Bede, monk at Jarrow, was a prominent figure in the development of early Anglo-Saxon culture. His "Ecclesiastical History" served as a historical record of the early Anglo-Saxon church and Anglo-Saxon history in general.