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Alfred the Great (849-899) was king of the West Saxons in England. He saved his country, Wessex, from Danish conquest, laid the basis for the unification of England under the West Saxon monarchy, and led a revival of learning and literature. He was such an outstanding leader in both war and peace that he was called the great.
Alfred was born in Wantage, which is now part of Oxfordshire. As a boy, he was curious and eager to learn. There is a story that his mother offered a prize to the first of her five sons who learned to read. Alfred, the youngest, won the prize, a book of Anglo-Saxon poems. Before he was 7, he had travelled to Rome twice, and was confirmed by Pope Leo IV. These travels showed him the contrast between the civilized parts of Europe and his more backward England.
Defeats Danes. Alfred became king in 871, after the death of his fourth brother. The West Saxons had been at war with the Danes for many years. After several losing battles, Alfred made peace with the invaders. But the Danes renewed their attacks four years later and defeated Alfred at the Battle of Chippenham. Alfred finally defeated them at the Battle of Edington in 878. The Danish leader, Guthrum, agreed to be baptized a Christian. After the Danes broke the peace again, Alfred won his greatest victory, the conquest of London in 886. The Danes withdrew to the eastern third of England, called the Danelaw. All the English people, both in and out of Wessex, who were not subject to the Danes recognized Alfred as their king and paid him homage.
Alfred built forts at strategic points and stationed a fleet of ships along the coast to protect his kingdom and guard against invasion. He also issued a great code of laws to improve government.
Encourages learning. Education declined because the Danes had looted monasteries and churches, the only centres of learning. Few even among the clergy could read or write. Alfred brought teachers and learned men to Wessex from Wales, northern England, and Europe. He himself helped translate books from Latin into Anglo-Saxon. He also kept a record of current events. Called the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, it was continued after his death until 1154. It is the best source for Anglo-Saxon history.
Source: 1997 World Book Encyclopaedia
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