| Of all the Anglo-Saxon kings, none has received more adulation and at the same time more criticism than Alfred the Great. The purpose of this study is to develop a model of ninth-century Anglo-Saxon kingship, complete with the political, social, religious and military obligations of the king to his people, his country and his Church. This model will then be applied to the reign of Alfred the Great, demonstrating Alfred's ability to fulfill all the requirements of his social position. This study concludes that despite some of his faults and the failures of his early reign, Alfred the Great, at some point, managed to achieve a level of greatness that no other Anglo-Saxon king before or after could reach. Thus, Alfred certainly deserves the title, 'the Great'. |
