When did Roman Britain really end?
4/26/202632 min
How did England – and Englishness – emerge from the final days of Roman Britain? And what separated Englishness from Britishness? Emeritus professor Nicholas Higham –whose latest book is How England Began: From Roman Britain to the Anglo-Saxons – speaks to James Osborne to explore the twisting and turning tale of England's origins from post-Roman Britain: a story of clashing cultures, religion, and migration.
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First 90 secondsJames Osborne· Host0:00
Which topics would you most like to see us cover here on the History Extra podcast? Now's your chance to let us know. Have your say by visiting bit.ly/hepodtopics. That's bit.ly/hepodtopics. [upbeat music] What became of Britain after Roman influence receded in the early fifth century? And how did this create the conditions for England and Englishness to emerge? In this episode of the History Extra podcast, Emeritus Professor Nicholas Higham examines the twisting and turning tale of England's origins, a story of clashing cultures, religion, and migration. Today, I'm joined by Professor Nick Higham, who is the author of numerous books that investigate the histories of early England, including his new work, How England Began. Nick, I thought this was a rather simple question. I thought that Athelstan followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Alfred the Great, and brought the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms together under his authority, so that they could unite and defeat the Vikings. And in doing so, he created the concept of a unified England, and that that was how England began. Is that wrong?
Nicholas Higham· Guest1:18
That's not wrong. It's the kingdom that begins with Athelstan. That's the beginning of the Kingdom of England, and that's when you see that as a political entity really emerging