Anglo-Saxon introduction

1. L.I: TO INVESTIGATE
WHY THE ROMANS LEFT
BRITAIN AND WHY THE
ANGLO-SAXONS INVADED
Who is
this?
Gildas

2. WHO WAS GILDAS?
No one knows exactly what happened just after the Romans left
Britain but we have a source of written information from a monk
called Gildas.
• British monk – a Christian
• Considered the first British historian.
• Anglo –Saxons mercenaries were invited to come and help fight
alongside the King of Kent against the tribes who lived in the
north.
• Account written in 550AD, a long time after events were supposed
to have happened.

3. Gildas wrote:
‘They invited like wolves in a sheepfold the fierce
and ungodly Saxons., a race that both God and
men hated, to drive back the attacks of the
northern tribes’
Discuss with your partner:
What opinion do you think Gildas had about the Saxons?
Do you think that his account is reliable evidence? Explain
your reasons.

4. YOUR TASK:
• Use the information from the PowerPoint to write down information
on Gildas.
• Put the title: Invaders of Britain in your book. Then copy the map
showing who the invaders were – Source A on page 24 and label it.
• Using the text, add information around the map.