Heptarchy

Heptarchy (Greek for seven rule ) is a name for those early medieval period, was divided in England in Anglo-Saxon small kingdoms.

Overview

After the withdrawal of the Roman legions from Britain in the early 5th century, the east and south was the British island of migrating Germanic tribes conquered and colonized. These were to parts of the Saxons, Angles and Jutes, which are summarized under the term Anglo-Saxons and settled only in relatively small numbers to Britain. There are for this time only very few written sources and archaeological evidence available, but at least the basics of development recognizable. The Anglo-Saxons were initially came as a mercenary for Romano- British rulers of the island, middle of the 5th century had but then collected and began to form their own dominions.

Since the beginning of the 6th century societies with a king at the top and warrior followings are historically documented. The written sources (for the time until the early 8th century, especially the Venerable Bede and in general for the political history of the so-called Anglo-Saxon Chronicle ) have at least the basic principles of political development recognize. This was marked by some fierce fighting within and between the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, as well as between Anglo-Saxon and Celtic princes.

The most famous and eponymous for the Heptarchy kingdoms were:

• Essex ( East Saxons )
• Sussex ( Südsachsen )
• Wessex (West Saxony)
• Kent
• East Anglia ( East Anglia )
• Mercia ( Mercia )
• Northumbria ( Northumbria )

The term heptarchy is not entirely true as there besides the seven mentioned rich even more was that are less known today, but at least temporarily possessed an equal abundance of power. These included Lindsey, Hwicce and Surrey.

The research was often assumed, one of the regional princes ( warlords ) have received the title of Bretwalda the status of a " primus inter pares"; but much in this respect is controversial, especially since several of the mentioned there early rulers ( as Raedwald ) little is known. At the very least practiced intermittently single ruler hegemony over other parts of the country ( as well as later the kings of Mercia from the middle of the 8th century to the early 9th century and in the first half of the 9th century as Egbert of Wessex ).