A presentation by a student of mine

1.
ENGLISH HiSTORY

2. THE FIRST INVASIONS
Britain was first settled in the Neolithic period by
Iberian people who spread slowly from the south.

3. Around 700 B.C. the Celts arrived from north-west
Germany. The Celts were tall and muscular, had fair skin,
blue eyes and blond hair. They were farmers, hunters and
fishermen. They constructed defensive earthworks, which
were used as refuges.

4. The Druids were the priests of the
Celts, they were important not
only in religion but also justice,
education and medicine. They
held their ceremonies in the forest
and not in temples. The Celts
worshipped the natural elements
such as the sun, the moon and the
trees; water was regarded as the
holy element which generates life
and as the door to the death. They
believed in immortality and in the
transmigration of the soul. After
Britain was invaded by the Roman
in 55B.C. brought their culture and
language. They built towns; there
were three different kinds of
town: the MUNICIPIA, the
COLONIAE and the CIVITATES.

5. The first English kings
• KING ALFRED THE GREAT ruled
the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of
Wessex from 871 to 899.
Wessex was attacked by the
Viking. Alfred defeated and
gave his attention to building
new towns. He was the first
English king to learn to read
and write.
• KING OFFA ruled from 757 to
796. He is remembered for
minting the first silver penny
coins.
• ATHELSTAN was the king who
took control of kingdoms.

6. The Anglo-Saxons
In the 5th century three Germanic
tribes, the Angles, the Saxons and
the Jutes, came by sea. They gave
Britain its new name: ENGLAND
«the land of the Angles». The most
important members of Anglo-
Saxon society were the eorls and
the thegns who devoted their life
to hunting, war and to the
administration of justice. During
the period of Anglo-Saxon power,
Pope Gregory I the Great sent
Augustine to bring Christianity to
England, so the monasteries
became important centres of
culture

7. King Alfred of Wessex was the only Saxon to stand against the Vikings.
He encouraged education and scholarship, so he ordered the
translation of various Latin works into Anglo-Saxon. The last
Anglo.Saxon king was Harold, Earl of Wessex. Harold had to fight
William, Duke of Normandy, who also claimed to be king. At the
famous battle of Hastings, Harold was killed and the Saxons were
conquered.

8. Edward the Confessor, who had restored the
Royal House of Wessex, died childless.
Although William, Duke of Normandy, was
more distantly related to Edward. At
Hastings on 14th October William used
archers and warriors to defeat Harold’s
men. Harold Godwineson was Edward’s
brother-in-law.

9. Alessandra Selvaggio