Great Britain Origins PDF
Document Details
Tags
Summary
This document provides an overview of the origins of Great Britain, discussing ancient inhabitants, Celtic tribes, Roman invasions, and the influences of various historical periods. The document also contains information about specific historical events, such as the Norman Conquest and the impact of the Viking invasions.
Full Transcript
GREAT BRITAIN THE ORIGINS United Kingdom/Great Britain/England G reat Britain: Great Britain is an island that consists of three somewhat autonomous regions that include England, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom: The United Ki...
GREAT BRITAIN THE ORIGINS United Kingdom/Great Britain/England G reat Britain: Great Britain is an island that consists of three somewhat autonomous regions that include England, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom: The United Kingdom is a country that includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its official name is “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” The British Isles: The British Isles is another term altogether and encompasses Great Britain, the island of Ireland, and several other smaller islands such as the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man is not a part of the United Kingdom or the European Union, even though its Lord is the Monarch of the United Kingdom. The Commonwealth of Nations: The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of countries that were formerly British colonies. Members of the Commonwealth of Nations recognize the United Kingdom Monarch as their own king or queen but remain politically independent. Ancient Great Britain H ibernia (ancient name and Latin variant): Apparently assimilated to Latinhibernus("wintry"). Hiberians Albion: Old English from Latin, probably of Celtic origin and related to Latinalbus(white), in allusion to the white cliffsof Dover. Britannia: Used by Romans (Land of Bretons). Dominations Iberians: (ancient inhabitants) Celts: (around 600 B.C.) Romans: 55-54 (Julius Caesar) B.C. up to 410 (when Rome was sacked by Alaric the Visigoth). Germanic Tribes: Angles, Saxons, Jutes (around 450-460 A.D.). Invasion of Vikings: (Danes, 8th and 9th centuries), only contained by the First Great English King, King Alfred (871-900). The Norman Conquest: (1066 - William the Conqueror).Stonehenge: Linked to ancient British history, with a notable video reference from History.com. Newgrange: A 5200-year-old megalithic passage tomb in Ireland, older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids. It served ceremonial, religious, and astrological purposes, showing an organized society. It is most famous for the illumination during the Winter Solstice when sunlight aligns with the tomb's passage, symbolizing the start of the new year. CELTS Celts ORIGINS S ome historians believe that they originate from the Caspian steppes. By 600 B.C., they had spread over much of Central Europe, the Iberian peninsula, Ireland, and Britain. In details... he HISTORY of the Celts begins around 750 BC. At this time, they lived around T Hallstatt in Austria and became wealthy and powerful from Hallstatt’s profitable salt and copper mines; they also traded in iron. They had a reputation for being fierce warriors who mainly traveled on horseback. They were feared and respected. The Celts were made up of lots of different tribes, not just one big kingdom. They gradually started to move to other parts of Europe: this is called migration. Migration he years 400 to 200 BC are a time of movement. Celts moved northwards to T Germany and southwards to Italy. Some also invaded Hungary, then headed south into Greece. Another group of Celts settled in Turkey. At the same time, other Celtic peoples moved into southwestern France, Spain, Portugal, Britain, and Ireland. Migration Map T he core Hallstatt territory, expansion before 500 BC (yellow). Maximum Celtic expansion by the 3rd century BC. Areas that remain Celtic-speaking today (dark green). La TENE CULTURE Surviving Celtic parts hese migrations brought the Celts face to face with the Roman army – the T strongest fighting force in Europe. For the next 200 years, Romans and Celts were at war. By around 60 AD, Celtic power was completely destroyed. Only in remote areas such as Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Galicia, and Brittany did Celtic traditions survive. Surviving Celtic parts of the world are shown on the map opposite. Family (Clan): R í or Taoiseach ruled a Tuath and were appointed by the Derbfine. Fosterage in use. The Nobles were made up of the warriors and the Aosdána. Aosdána were Brehons, Filí, Druids, and craftsmen. Farmers. Commoners or Slaves (captured from other tribes). Celt Warrior Celts' way of life: ○ Clothes: wool spun and woven. Mantle. ○ Tools and weapons: iron smelting. Bronze and gold still used for ornaments. ○ Arts and crafts: Lá Tene (Switzerland), Ogham stones. ○ Burial customs and Religion: Cremated, and ashes put in pits or cist graves with a mound of stones (cairn) on top. Grave-goods included. Ogham Stones T he more ancient examples are standing stones, where the script was carved into the edge of the stone. The text of these inscriptions is read eginning from the bottom left-hand side of a stone, continuing upward b along the edge, across the top, and down the right-hand side. Monumental Ogham inscriptions are found in Ireland and Wales, with a few additional specimens found in England and Scotland. They were mainly employed as territorial markers and memorials (grave stones). The earliest examples of Ogham Stones date to the later Iron Age. Religion any deities. M Dagda is the main god. Lug is the god of War. Brigid and Morrigan are goddesses. Deities live in wells, rivers, and woods. The druid is the priest: sacrifices to the gods. Druids C lasses: prophets, bards, and priests. Assisted by sorcerers (female priests). Druids had the power: ○ of mastering astrology. ○ of magic. ○ to control animals and plants. ○ of healing. Mistletoe and Oak tree ituals carried out in oak forests. R Sacred plants: oak trees and mistletoes. Used altars (stone monuments). Stone temples (Stonehenge). Providing sacrifices (human heads, plants, animals) to animistic gods (gods of the wood, elements, rivers, etc.). Anglo-Saxon invasion rom the 6th century onwards. F Lots of Celts fled to Ireland. Some melted. Remained only in Wales (Cymru, Cardiff = Caerdydd) and Scotland (Gaelic: Alba). L anguage slowly disappeared. Language influences on Modern English: ○ (qw- queen, kn- knight, knife). ○ -gh (burgh, loch, lake-kh). THE INVASION OF ROMANS IN BRITANNIA** OMANS R The Roman Empire he reasons T - The increasing expansion of the empire in 55 B.C in both western Europe and the Mediterranean. - Competing Roman generals and politicians sought fame and wealth through conquest. - Britain was a refuge for some of Caesar's Gaulish enemies, mainly the Belgae. - The mineral and agricultural wealth of Britain also made it a tempting prize. ulius Caesar J The first Roman general to invade Britain was Julius Caesar. While fighting Celtic tribes in Gaul (modern France), Caesar believed they were getting help from the Celtic people of Britain. He resolved to invade Britain and punish those people. irst Invasion F In 55 B.C., Caesar set sail with a fleet of ships to cross over to Britain. He planned to land near the famous white cliffs of Dover. ritish Resistance B However, Caesar reports that the British people were waiting for him and threw down upon his troops a barrage of spears and stones, so that the landing for the Roman soldiers was made very difficult. aesar's Second Invasion C After some initial skirmishes with various Celtic tribes, since winter was approaching, Caesar decided to return to Gaul. However, in the spring of 54 B.C., he attempted a second invasion of Britain. This time he was able to land without opposition. He marched inland and set up a fort. nd of Caesar's Invasions E In 54 B.C., Caesar fought a few small battles with the British tribes and then concluded some treaties with their kings. Soon, he again left Britain, in order to return to Rome, where political developments demanded his attention. He never got back to Britain, for in 44 B.C. he was assassinated. Invasion and Occupation Emperor Claudius sent a strong army, and the Romans invaded Britannia in 43 AD. Rome wanted to colonize all of Britain, and there was little resistance because the Roman army was strong and experienced, and the Celtic tribes were not united. he Britons Submit to Rome T Claudius' army was too great for the Britons to resist. Soon, a number of the Celtic kings decided to ask for terms of peace. Claudius himself came to Britain to receive a pledge of loyalty to Rome from these kings. Britain was now officially a part of the Roman Empire. eltic Tribes in the South of England C #### First Century AD - Rome colonized half of Britannia in the south and built towns, roads, and army camps. - They occupied the North of England but did not colonize it. - The Romans could not defeat the Celts and Picts in Caledonia. --- ## Roads, Towns, and Army Camps # - Londinium - Caerleon - Roads --- oman Towns R The Romans built many towns in Britain. - At first, they had no walls, but after 300 AD, they all had strong, stone walls. - There were about 20 towns with more than 5,000 people, and the capital city Londinium had about 20,000 people. It was the biggest city in north Europe. ondinium L - Londinium was founded by the year 47 AD, just after the Roman invasion. - Londinium became the capital of Roman Britain at the end of the century. - It was an important trading centre, and there is evidence of a port. - During the second century, amazing constructions were built, such as the Basilica north of the Alps, temples, and bath houses. oman Power Changes Britain R - **Trade**: Britain’s continental trade was principally directed across the Southern North Sea and Eastern Channel. - Imports included coin, pottery, olive, etc. - Exports: metals (silver, gold, lead, iron, and copper), salt, etc. - **Economy**: Mining and agriculture in the beginning, but later on, a wide array of activities. oman Power Changes Britain R - **Government**: Governor with a military role, in contact with local client kings, building roads, public services, duties as a judge in some cases. - **Settlements**: A number of important Roman settlements were established, some still survive. The idea of a town as a centre of power and administration was introduced. - **Religion**: Claudius outlawed Druids, however, Celtic deities remained and were worshipped. --- oman Power Changed Britain R There were three kinds of towns: - **COLONIAE**: Roman settlers - **MUNICIPIA**: Inhabitants who were given Romancitizenship - **CIVITATES**: Old Celtic tribal capitals --- aledonia and Hadrian’s Wall C The Romans spent over 100 years trying to take Scotland, but they never succeeded. In the end, they built a wall to keep the aggressive Celts and Picts out of the Empire. Hadrian’s Wall is 117 km long, with forts every 500 m. You can visit the Roman Wall today. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. --- ## Towns and Military Camps # ### Roman Influence --- ## London and Colchester # Planned towns ath Spa and Verulamium B The Roman Baths at Bath are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. These Roman towns had stone buildings, planned streets, markets, shops, and a forum. (You can visit the amphitheatre and a Roman Museum at Verulamium, to the north of London). --- oman Roads R The Romans built a network of straight and fast roads to connect all parts of Britannia. Many of the modern main roads follow the same routes as the Roman ones. Some Romano-Britons (Celts) lived in the towns and spoke Latin, but most lived in the country and only spoke Celtic. arge Farms L Villa plans **Chedworth Roman villa** - Mosaic floors and hot air heating old and Other Minerals G Britain had many minerals (tin, iron, lead). The Romans continued to mine gold in West Wales. The Dolaucothi gold mine is still open today, mostly as a tourist attraction. roblems in Britain and Europe P In the 4th century, Rome had many political problems at home, military problems in Europe (e.g., the Angles and Saxons from Germany attacked the Romans in Gaul). There were problems in Britain too. The Celts from Caledonia attacked the North of England in 367 AD. --- nd of the Roman Empire E The last Roman soldiers left Britannia in 409 AD. The Romano-British must fight against the Scots, Irish, and Saxons alone. They had no chance! In 410 AD, Rome fell to the Barbarians. This is the end of Roman Britain and of the Roman Empire. * *410 AD – The Fall of Rome** --- (Note: Images mentioned in the document are omitted for clarity.) **The Conversion to Christianity** hristian Persecutions C The persecutions began under Nero following a fire that consumed much of Rome in six days and which was blamed on him. Nero argued that the fire was started by Christians and thus persecuted them. he persecution of Christians continued in varying intensities through the T reigns of Domitian, Hadrian, Septimus Severus, and Maximinus Severus. ersecutions worsened during the period between 253 AD and 257 AD under P the reign of Valerian and reduced during the reign of Diocletian and Miximian from 286 AD onwards. Diocletian even supported those who intended to run for political office. ersecutions' End P - **Edict of Toleration: Galerius 311** he Edict of Milan T The Roman emperors Constantine I and Licinius emanated the edict in Milan in February 313. he Edict of Milan was a proclamation that permanently established religious T tolerance in the Roman Empire. his edict allowed Christians in particular the freedom to worship whatever T deity they chose and assured them the right to keep property and to organize churches. hristianity eventually became the state religion of the Roman Empire in 380 C with Emperor Theodosius the Great. onstantine's Conversion to Christianity C The Roman Emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity shortly before the battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 A.D. is quite controversial. Constantine's decision could have been motivated by any number of factors. he first and most straightforward explanation for his conversion is that he T genuinely believed the dogma of Christianity and therefore decided to abandon paganism. Constantine's legitimate interest in Christianity is not inconceivable considering that his mother was Christian. usebius recounts that Constantine had a vision of a cross above the sun with E the words "Conquer by this" engraved across it. Eusebius claims that Constantine instructed his men to represent this symbol on their shields and banners by superimposing the letters "Chi" and "Rho" on top of each other. Catacombs In Ancient Rome, it was not permitted for bodies to be buried within the city walls. o while pagans cremated their dead, Christians who were not legally allowed S to practice their religion turned to underground cemeteries built beneath land owned by the city’s few rich Christian families. he Jewish population was already implementing this practice when Christians T began doing so around the 2nd Century. The use of catacombs in Rome expanded during the 2nd and 3rd Centuries. oday, 600 kilometers of catacombs run underneath Rome and its outskirts. T Some of the networks are well known and open to visitors while others are still scarcely explored. Probably, there are a number of lost catacombs too. artyrs M During the periods of persecution, most Christians preferred to die rather than denounce their faith. Those who died in this manner were referred to as martyrs. he Edict of Milan T The Edict of Milan is considered an influential factor in the fall of the Roman Empire. any have argued that the rise of the Christian faith, which was a direct result M of the Edict of Milan, contributed to the decline of Rome. restige Loss P While the former polytheistic Roman religion viewed the emperor as having divine status, the new Christian religion moved the religious focus away from the state to a single deity. The addition of popes and church elders playing a role in the politics of Rome may have made the political scene more complex. Christianity hristianity spread throughout Britain from two different directions: C - It came directly from Rome when St Augustine arrived in 597 and established headquarters at Canterbury. - It had already been introduced into Scotland and northern England from Ireland, which had become Christian more than 150 years before. Christianization in England enerable Bede V Bede writes: "This pious request was quickly granted, and the Britons received the Faith and held it peacefully in all its purity and fullness until the time of the Emperor Diocletian." e don't know exactly when the first Christian missionaries arrived in Britain. W But England's first church historian, the Venerable Bede, reports in his *History of the English Church and People* that in 156, during the reign of Roman emperor Marcus Antoninus, a British king named Lucius wrote Pope Eleutherus in Rome requesting instruction in the Christian faith. (Historians ontest this date pointing out Eleutherus did not become pope until 171 at the c earliest.) onasteries: What did monks do? M - Obeyed Rule of St Benedict - Prayed, worked, ate, and slept in the same place - Vows of poverty and chastity - 4 types or orders: Benedictines, Cluniacs, Cistercians, and Carthusians IFE IN A MONASTERY L The word 'monk' means solitary (on one's own). ver since the beginning of Christianity, there have been some men and E women who have 'felt the call' to withdraw from the outside world and devote their lives to prayer and the worship of God. he earliest monks lived in caves or built themselves small stone houses called T cells. The first monks to visit Britain belonged to the Order of St Benedict. The Benedictine Monks wore black habits and became known as ‘Black Monks’. owever, some monks felt that many Benedictine monasteries were not H following the rules of St Benedict as strictly as they should be. As a result, a new group of monks called Cistercians Monks or ‘White Monks’ came to England and founded monasteries that were run on very strict rules. hat were the vows that monks/nuns (in convents) made? W - Spend their life in the service of God - Give away their property to others - Obey the abbot at all times - Wear a habit and sandals and have a tonsure - Stay in the monastery throughout their life - Remain celibate The Anglo-Saxons The Fall of the Western Roman Empire - 476 A.D. here did the Anglo-Saxons come from? W 449 A.D. - Three Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) invaded Britain. Destruction of Roman influence including Christianity. Germanic Invasions – 449 A.D. A ngles/Saxons from Germany Jutes from Denmark Angles, Saxons, and Jutes: Deep sea fishermen and farmers anguage L Common language now known as Old English (similar to Dutch and German). eligion R Pagan – similar to Norse mythology. nglo-Saxon England A Created the Anglo-Saxon England (“Engla land”) that lasted until 1066. Divided into separate kingdoms: Kent, Northumbria, Mercia, and Wessex were the most important. United themselves in the last two centuries to resist invasions from Vikings or Norsemen (whom they called Danes). ermans G The name "German" was given by the Gauls to indicate those populations which lived in an area comprised of the East of the river Rhine, the North of Danube, and the South of the Baltic Sea. Later, the Celts gave the name to all the Germans without any distinction. They called themselves "THIUDISK" (Latin: Teodiscus) - Deutsch. There are different theories on the origin of this term. Germanic form: "Theudo" = means "popolo" or "gens"? The Heptarchy (VI century A.D.) ent (Jutes) K Essex (Saxons) Wessex (Saxons) Sussex (Saxons) East Anglia (Angles) Mercia (Angles) Northumbria (Angles) The Influence of the 1st Germanic Invasion 1. Days of the week were named after Germanic gods: ○ Monandaeg (Moon's day - the day of the moon) ○ Tiwesaeg (Tiw's day - the day of the Scandinavian sky god TiwTiu or Tig) ○ Wodnesaeg (Woden's day - the day of the god Woden [Othin]) ○ Ðunresaeg (Thor's day - the day of the god Ðunor or Thunor) ○ Frigedaeg (Freyja's day - the day of the goddess Freyja or Frigg, wife to Woden) ○ Sæternesdaeg (Saturn's day - the day of the Roman god Saturn whose festival "Saturnalia" with its exchange of gifts has been incorporated into our celebration of Christmas) ○ Sunnandaeg (Sun's day - the day of the sun). oden W One of the main Anglo-Saxon gods: Great and powerful. God of battle, death, and wisdom. axons' Administrative Traits S The Saxons created the King's Council called the Witan, a group of senior warriors and churchmen to whom kings turned for advice and support. The Saxons divided the land into new administrative areas based on shires. Over each shire was appointed a shire reeve, the king’s local administrator. In time, his name became shortened to “sheriff.” lace-Names P New place names appeared on the map. The earliest Saxon villages were family villages: T he ending "-ing" meant family (e.g., Reading – family of Rada). The ending "-ham" meant farm (e.g., Birmingham). The ending "-ton" meant settlement (e.g., Kingston). nglo-Saxon Literature A Oral tradition – poems and songs committed to memory and performed by scops, bards, gleemen, or minstrels. With the coming of the Christian Church, written literature began to evolve. Two important traditions in literature: 1. H eroic tradition – celebrates heroes. 2. Elegiac tradition – passing of earlier, better times. The English Language O ld English: From the origin to the XI century A.D. Middle English: From the XII century to the XV century. Modern English: From the XVI century onwards. ll the Ancient English Literature before the Norman Conquest has been A transmitted in the dialect of Wessex. Consequently, the grammar study of that period is based on that dialect. t the end of the XI century, with the shift of the political and economic center A from Winchester (Wessex, whose king was Offa) to London (Mercia, with Edigbriht), the dialect of Mercia became the basis for the Common Language. Anglo-Saxon Civilization ommon language. C Shared a heroic ideal; set of traditional heroes. Admired men of outstanding courage. Loyalty to leader and tribe. Fierce personal valor. Persons of rank received with grave courtesy. Ruler generous to those who remained loyal. Everyone aware of the shortness of life and the passing of all things in the world. Impersonal, irresistible fate determined most of life (Wyrd or Fate). Heroic human will and courage allowed individuals to control their own response to fate. heir Society: The SIPPE T It was a sort of clan, consisting of family members of at least three generations (each family had 10-12 sons). Since the blood bond was of primary importance, theFaidawas a recurring theme. t a certain point, the Faida disappeared because it was sufficient to pay a A certain amount of money to settle wrongs. The amount changed according to the social rank of the victim. heLex Salica, which divided social classes accordingto the tribute to pay, T was written when the Franks claimed a title to be socially recognized (VI century). mong them, there was strong solidarity, and collectivity was valued over A individuality. The uncle from the mother's side had power almost similar to that of the father. hey gathered in a general assembly, from which cowards were excluded T (called Ding or Thing). This assembly was held periodically in the open air in a field. They decided on different matters. For treason, desertion, homosexuality, and cowardice, the death penalty was inflicted. VIKINGS IKINGS V The word Viking means one who lurks in a "Vik" or bay—in effect, a pirate. HO WERE THE VIKINGS W The Vikings, or Norse, were a phenomenal race of Scandinavian warriors who raided Northern Europe, Eastern Asia, and Eastern North America. The Swedish Vikings set out across the Baltic Sea into Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia. By the end of the first millennium, the Vikings reached North America five hundred years before Columbus. Vikings were not just pirates and warriors but also traders and colonists. he word "Viking" also describes a whole new age in Europe between about the T mid-700 to 1150 AD. This was a period of raiding as well as creating far-reaching trade networks and settlements by Scandinavians. In particular... T hey conquered much of Northern England in the 9th century and established a kingdom in Ireland. They defeated nearly all of Saxon England but not Wessex. The suffix "-by" and "-thorpe" (meaning village) are Viking place names in the North and North East. urviving accounts S Surviving accounts of Viking activity were almost exclusively written by churchmen. These included monastic chronicles such as the Anglo-Saxon hronicle, Frankish and Irish Annals. C The chronicles reflect the fact that Vikings attacked these monasteries for their wealth, and the accounts had a hostile tone, creating a popular image of Viking atrocities. The Vikings were considered heathens for their invasions of monasteries and were portrayed in the worst possible way. One of the earliest Icelandic manuscripts in Old Norse, the Viking language. Wergeld System n amoral but pragmatic system based on compensation. A Price of a life. Legal recourse. Oral law. Declaration. Witnesses. Prosecution. AGA S Saga is a Norse word meaning "tales." These writings provide almost all of the knowledge we have of the Vikings. There are about forty sagas that include descriptions of historical events in Iceland and voyages across the North Atlantic from Norway, Greenland, and Vinland (Newfoundland). The sagas were compiled in the 13th and 14th centuries and were based on stories that originated as early as 400 to 500 years before that. Archaeology is proving that a lot of these stories have a good basis of fact. Most important:Edda Poems. ormandy N In 911 AD, Charles III of France gave Normandy ("French for territory of Norsemen") to the Viking leader Rollo, who became a Christian. Vikings helped adopt the French language and organized a strong state in Normandy. ing Alfred of Wessex K The only king to stand against Vikings. Both military leader (he built a fleet of ships) and a man of culture: he ordered the translation of many Latin works into Anglo-Saxon. The End 1 028: Knut (Canute) became King of England after Ethelred’s death. On Canute’s death (1042), his sons ruled vast lands in Scandinavia, so one of Ethelred’s sons,Edward the Confessor, waselected. He is remembered for having built Westminster Abbey. By that time, Vikings had become Christians. At Edward’s death, because he had no sons,Haroldwas elected, becoming the last Anglo-Saxon king.
