When was Alfred the Great born and where did he grow up?
Alfred the Great was born in the year 849 at Wantage, a royal estate nestled in Berkshire. He grew up as the youngest of six children to King Aethelwulf and Osburh.
Questions about Alfred the Great
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What happened during the Battle of Edington in May 10 878?
Alfred won a decisive victory in the ensuing Battle of Edington near Westbury Wiltshire between May 4 and May 10 in 878. He pursued the Danes to Chippenham and starved them into submission which required Guthrum to convert to Christianity.
How many burhs did Alfred establish and what was their purpose?
Alfred established thirty-three burhs distributed about twenty miles apart throughout the kingdom. These garrisons enabled military forces to confront attacks anywhere within a day while Wallingford supplied landowners for maintaining one mile of wall.
Why did Alfred translate Latin works into English during the 880s?
Alfred translated Latin works deemed most necessary into English because learning had declined so thoroughly that very few men could understand divine services or translate letters from Latin. He aimed to set all free-born young men with means to apply themselves to learning through primary education taught in English.
When did Alfred die and what illness might he have suffered?
Alfred died on the 26th of October 899 at age 50 or 51 after suffering throughout life a painful unpleasant illness. Biographer Asser gave detailed description symptoms allowing modern doctors possible diagnosis thought either Crohn's disease or hemorrhoids.