Aethelred’s accession to the throne came at a very difficult time. The arrival of the Great Heathen Army posed an enormous threat to his kingship and the Anglo-Saxon hold on the country.
Over the next five years, the Vikings inflicted heavy defeats on the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, so much so that by 870 they had conquered both Northumbria and East Anglia.
After these Viking victories, the invaders turned their attention to Aethelred’s kingdom and launched a full-scale attack on Wessex.
Unfortunately for Aethelred, a serious defeat at the Battle of Reading in January 871 emboldened the Viking invaders to make further gains.
During the battle, King Aethelred and his brother Alfred attempted to repel the Vikings from the town, however the two brothers ultimately had to escape with their lives, only surviving because of their knowledge of the area.
Only four days later Aethelred and Alfred found themselves back on the battlefield and this time able to secure a victory at the Battle of Ashdown. The West Saxons were victorious and inflicted considerable losses on the Vikings, including killing King Bagsecg as well as five prominent members of their military.
Whilst they pursued the Vikings until they reached nightfall, their victory did not last long as they were defeated at Basing and then Meretun respectively.
Aethelred passed away in April 871 AD, possibly from battle wounds, leaving his younger brother Alfred with a great responsibility of holding strong against the Vikings, as well as securing the future of the Wessex dynasty.
Whilst Aethelred had two sons to inherit his position, Aethelhelm and Aethelwold, at the time of their father’s death both were too young to assume their positions as future monarchs.
Thus, the most famous brother of them all, King Alfred rose to the occasion and had one of the most significant impacts on the future of his kingdom, securing its safety against the Viking threat but also choosing to implement valuable reforms that would revolutionise the social landscape.
The three Wessex brothers, Aethelbald, Aethelbert and Aethelred had a tumultuous time in power, often threatened by outside incursions whilst consistently trying to maintain their powerbase at home. The royal dynasty created by their grandfather King Egbert managed to survive their leadership and, in the case of King Alfred, thrive, creating a unified Anglo-Saxon culture and society their ancestors would be proud of.
Jessica Brain is a freelance writer specialising in history. Based in Kent and a lover of all things historical.
Published: 15th July 2024.
