jorindelle:King Æthelwulf of Wessex (r. 839–858)↳Æthelwulf’s reign has been relatively under-appreci
jorindelle:King Æthelwulf of Wessex (r. 839–858)↳Æthelwulf’s reign has been relatively under-appreciated in modern scholarship. Yet he laid the foundations for Alfred’s success. To the perennial problems of husbanding the kingdom’s resources, containing conflicts within the royal family, and managing relations with neighbouring kingdoms, Æthelwulf found new as well as traditional answers. He consolidated old Wessex, and extended his reach over what is now Devon and Cornwall. He ruled Kent, working with the grain of its political community. He borrowed ideological props for his kingship from Mercians and Franks alike, and went to Rome, not to die there, like his predecessor Ine, but to return, as Charlemagne had, with enhanced prestige. Æthelwulf coped more effectively with Scandinavian attacks than did most contemporary rulers. -- source link
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