The Anglo-Saxon wars were a period of constant warfare and bloodshed that continued even after the time period covered in 0 A.D. The Anglo-Saxon wars were not one continuous war but a series of conflicts that stretched over a long period of time.
In 395 AD the Roman Emperor Honorius in the West and Emperor Arcadius in the East suffered a series of crushing defeats and in 410 AD the Goths under Alaric sacked Rome. The sack of Rome caused Honorius to recall all Roman forces in the West to protect Rome including Britain, which was considered an unimportant outpost. Without the Romans help the numerous Brittonic tribes fell into disarray. The Picts or some other northern tribe (Pict was a common name for people living north of Hadrian’s Wall) attacked the Britons perhaps pushing as far south as Londumium (modern London).
By 449 AD (or 447 the date is disputed) the British under the King of Powys, Vortigern had pushed the Picts back and became the undisputed king of southern Britain and Wales. Vortigern had used, however great numbers of Jutish warriors under the dual command of Hengest and Horsa. Vortigern gave the Jutes land in Kent and the Isle Wight, however the Jutes where not content to stay in Britain as mercenaries and they wanted to rule the land. The Jutes now began to ask the Angles and Saxons for assistance and when the soldiers began to revolt Vortigern gave them higher pay and the Isle of Thanet, but they where not content and Vortigern’s sonVortimer led a army to push the Jutes to Thanet. However during this campaign Vortigern lost both of his sons,Vortimer and Categrin to the Jutes. For five years the Jutes remained on Thanet. In 459 AD amidst the turmoil caused by the Saxon landings in eastern England (the name England comes from the Germanic word meaning Angle-land) Vortigern was overthrown by a confederacy of British nobles who later fled to Amorica (Brittany).
From 460s till 473 AD the Saxons and their allies were being constantly beaten by Brittonic forces and from473 ADtill the battle of Mons Badonicus (Mount Badon) the Saxons and their allies where winning the war. In the early 460s a man by the name of Ambrosius Aurelianus began to rise through the ranks of the Brittonic military till he was appointed Dux Bellorum, the high king of Britain. Ambrosius used cunning tactics and huge amounts of cavalry, which he commanded like Roman ‘allas’ formations to break Anglo-Saxon forces, which did not use cavalry. In 473 AD Hengest was too old to command the Jutes and command passed to his son Osic. In477 AD an army of Saxons under the young but charismatic leader Aelle landed and immediately marched inland. Ambrosius then made a mistake by underestimating Saxon forces and concentrating on the Jutes. Throughout the rest of the 470s and into the 480s and 490s Ambrosius Aurelianus was on the defensive against the Saxons and their allies. What happened next is under deep debate since due to the unreliability of sources from the period, however what is known is that there was a pivotal battle at Mons Badonicus (Mount Badon) that kept the Saxons at bay for fifty years. Here we shall say that the year was 500 and the place was outside modern day Bath. Ambrosius needed a victory to keep himself from suffering the same fate asVortigern, an opportunity arose when a Saxon people called the Gewisse (debated) occupied a hill near Badonshire (possibly Bath). Ambrosius quickly marched to confront the Saxons on the hill and laid siege to it. Eventually Ambrosius attacked the fortress and drove back the Saxons. The effect of the battle was enormous, some Saxons even considered leaving Britain for Gaul (France). The biggest effect was that the Germanic leadership met with the Brittonic leadership and peace was declared. This peace would last for fifty years and in this period land and people would be exchanged, though not permanent the fifty-year peace gave both sides time to recuperate and rest.
