Athelstan

Athelstan
/ath"euhl stan'/, n.
A.D. 895?-940, king of England 925-940.

* * *

▪ king of England
also spelled  Aethelstan  or  Ethelstan 
died October 27, 939
 first West Saxon king to have effective rule over the whole of England.

      On the death of his father, Edward the Elder, in 924, Athelstan was elected king of Wessex and Mercia, where he had been brought up by his aunt, Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians. Crowned king of the whole country at Kingston on Sept. 4, 925, he proceeded to establish boundaries and rule firmly. He annexed the Viking kingdom of York in 927. His dominion was significantly challenged in 937 when Constantine of the Scots, Owain of Strathclyde, and Olaf Guthfrithson, claimant of the kingdom of York, joined forces and invaded England. They were routed at Brunanburh.

      Six of Athelstan's extant codes of law reveal stern efforts to suppress theft and punish corruption. They are notable in containing provisions intended to comfort the destitute and mitigate the punishment of young offenders. The form and language of his many documents suggest the presence of a corps of skilled clerks staffed by the cathedral of Winchester. Both his charters and the silver coinage he issued through strictly controlled regional mints bore the proud title Rex totius Britanniae (“King of all Britain”).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Athelstan — Rey de Wessex y de Inglaterra Athelstan.Detalle vidriera de la Capilla del Colegio todos los Santos.Oxford Reinado 924 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Athelstan — Athelstan, IA U.S. city in Iowa Population (2000): 18 Housing Units (2000): 16 Land area (2000): 0.129643 sq. miles (0.335773 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.129643 sq. miles (0.335773 sq. km)… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Athelstan, IA — U.S. city in Iowa Population (2000): 18 Housing Units (2000): 16 Land area (2000): 0.129643 sq. miles (0.335773 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.000000 sq. miles (0.000000 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.129643 sq. miles (0.335773 sq. km) FIPS code:… …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Athelstan — Athelstan, so v.w. Adelstan …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Äthelstan — Äthelstan, s. Ethelstan …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Athelstan — masc. proper name, O.E. Æðelstane, lit. noble stone; see ATHELING (Cf. atheling) + STONE (Cf. stone) (n.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • Athelstan — [ath′əl stan΄] [ME < OE ætheling < æthele, noble] A.D. 895? 940; king of the Mercians & West Saxons (925 940): assumed the title of king of England: grandson of Alfred the Great …   English World dictionary

  • Athelstan — (Aethelstan) (ca. 895–939)    Son of King Edward the elder and grandson of ALFRED THE GREAT, King Athelstan was perhaps the most powerful monarch of all the royal house of Wessex, and indeed the first who could legitimately claim to be king of… …   Encyclopedia of medieval literature

  • Athelstan —  Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents souverains partageant un même nom. Athelstan (ou Æthelstan) est un nom anglo saxon construit à partir des termes Æðel (noble) et stān (> stone, pierre). Ce nom a été porté par plusieurs… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Athelstan II — NOTOC Infobox bishopbiog name =Athelstan II religion =Catholic See =Diocese of Hereford Title = Bishop of Hereford Period = c1015 ndash;1056 Predecessor = Wulfric Successor =Leofgar ordination = bishops = post = date of birth = place of birth =… …   Wikipedia

  • Athelstan — This most interesting surname is of Anglo Saxon origin, and derives from an Olde English pre 7th Century personal name, Aethelstan , composed of the elements aethel , noble and stan , stone; hence noble stone . Variants of the surname in the… …   Surnames reference

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”