Editing Æthelred I of Wessex (section)

=== The Viking invasions ===
[[File:England Great Army map.svg|thumb|Routes taken by the [[Great Heathen Army]] from 865 to 878|upright=1.85]]

The character of Viking attacks on England decisively changed in the year that Æthelred succeeded to the throne. Previously the country had suffered from sporadic raids, but now it faced an invasion aiming at conquest and settlement. A large force of Vikings, called by contemporaries the [[Great Heathen Army]], arrived in [[Kingdom of East Anglia|East Anglia]]. King [[Edmund the Martyr|Edmund]] purchased peace by paying tribute and the Vikings stayed a year building up their strength. They then marched on [[York]] and conquered [[Northumbria]], installing a puppet king. In late 867, they took [[Nottingham]] in Mercia and spent the winter there. Æthelred's brother-in-law, King Burgred, appealed to him for help. Æthelred and Alfred led a large West Saxon army to Nottingham and besieged the Vikings, but they refused to leave the safety of the town's defences. The combined Mercian and West Saxon armies were unable to breach the earth ramparts and ditch, and eventually Burgred bought them off. The Vikings then went back to York.{{sfn|Abels|1998|pp=114–20}}{{efn|In 874, the Vikings took control of Mercia and drove Burgred and Æthelswith into exile.{{sfn|Kelly|2004}} }}

In 869, the Vikings returned to East Anglia and conquered the kingdom, killing King Edmund. In December 870, they launched an attempt to conquer Wessex led by Kings [[Bagsecg]] and [[Halfdan Ragnarsson |Halfdan]]. They occupied [[Reading, Berkshire|Reading]] on around 28 December. The town is between the [[Thames]] and [[River Kennet|Kennet]] rivers, and they set about building a ditch and rampart on the southern side between the two rivers. Three days after their arrival they sent out a large foraging party, which was defeated by an army of local levies under the command of [[Æthelwulf of Berkshire|Æthelwulf]], Ealdorman of [[Berkshire]], at the [[Battle of Englefield]]. After another four days, on about 4 January 871, Æthelred and Alfred brought up the main West Saxon army and joined Æthelwulf's forces for an attack on the Danes in the [[Battle of Reading (871)|Battle of Reading]]. The West Saxons fought their way to the town, slaughtering all the Danes they found outside, but when they reached the town gate the Vikings burst out and defeated the West Saxons with a successful counter-attack. Among the dead was Æthelwulf, whose body was secretly carried off to be buried in his native [[Derby]].{{sfnm|1a1=Abels|1y=1998|1pp=124–27|2a1=Beaven|2y=1918|2p=334}} According to the twelfth-century chronicler [[Geoffrey Gaimar|Gaimar]], Æthelred and Alfred only escaped due to their better knowledge of the local terrain, which allowed them to lose their pursuers by fording the [[River Loddon]] at [[Twyford, Berkshire|Twyford]] and going on to [[Whistley Green]], which is around {{convert|6|mi|km|abbr=off}} east of Reading.{{sfn|Smyth|1995|p=34}}

Four days later, on about 8 January, the armies met again in the [[Battle of Ashdown]]. The location of the battle is unknown, but may be [[Moulsford|Kingstanding Hill]], {{convert|13|mi|km|abbr=off}} north-west of Reading. According to Asser's account, the Vikings arrived first at the battle ground and deployed along the top of the ridge, giving them the advantage. They divided their forces into two contingents, one under their two kings and the other under their earls. When the West Saxons saw this, they decided to copy the formation, with Æthelred facing the kings and Alfred the earls. The king then retired to his tent to hear [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]], while Alfred led his forces to the battlefield. Both sides formed their forces into [[shield wall]]s. Æthelred would not cut short his devotions{{efn|According to Asser: "Alfred and his men reached the battlefield sooner and in better order: for his brother, King Æthelred, was still at his tent in prayer, hearing Mass and declaring firmly that he would not leave that place alive before the priest had finished Mass, and that he would not forsake divine service for that of men; and he did what he said. The faith of the Christian king counted for much with the Lord, as shall be shown more clearly in what follows.{{sfn|Keynes and Lapidge|1983|p=79}} }} and Alfred risked being outflanked and overwhelmed by the whole Danish army. He decided to attack and led his men in a charge. Battle then raged around a small thorn tree and finally the West Saxons were victorious. Although Asser emphasises Alfred's role in the victory and implies that Æthelred was dilatory, in the view of the military historian John Peddie, Æthelred was militarily correct to delay joining the battle until the situation was in his favour. The Vikings suffered heavy losses, including King Bagsecg and five earls, Sidroc the Old, Sidroc the Younger, Osbern, Fræna and Harold. The West Saxons followed the Viking flight until nightfall, cutting them down.{{sfnm|1a1=Abels|1y=1998 |1pp=129–31|2a1=Peddie|2y=1989|2pp=82–88|3a1=Beaven|3y=1918|3p=334}} The historian [[Barbara Yorke]], who sees Asser's biography as intended to portray Alfred as an ideal king, comments that "Asser is particularly careful to give much credit to Alfred".{{sfn|Yorke|1995|pp=105–06, 109}}

However, the victory was short-lived. Two weeks later, Æthelred and Alfred were defeated at the royal estate of [[Old Basing|Basing]] in the [[Battle of Basing]]. There was then a lull of two months until the West Saxons and the Vikings met at an unknown location called Meretun. In the [[Battle of Meretun|battle]] on 22 March the Vikings again divided into two divisions and the West Saxons had the advantage for much of the day, putting both divisions to flight, but the Vikings regrouped and finally held control of the battlefield. The West Saxons lost many important men, including [[Heahmund]], the [[Bishop of Sherborne]].{{sfnm|1a1=Abels|1y=1998|1pp=131–34|2a1=Beaven|2y=1918|2p=334}}{{efn|The death of Bishop Heahmund in the battle dates the sequence of events, as it is known that he died on 22 March 871. The ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' records that the Battle of Basing was two months before Meretun, dating it to 22 January, Ashdown fourteen days before that on 8 January, Reading four days earlier on 4 January, Englefield another four days earlier on 31 December 870 and the arrival of the Vikings in Reading three days earlier on 28 December. However, as the two month interval between Marton and Basing is probably not exact, the earlier dates are approximate.{{sfn|Beaven|1918|p=334}} }}