Benjamin Thorpe (1781/2-1870) was a scholar of Old English and Member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Munich. Through his work, he sought to promote the study of the old vernacular, against the trend of scholarly apathy towards Anglo-Saxon literature. One of his greatest contributions was this two-volume edition, published as part of the Rolls Series in 1861, of the oldest and most important chronological accounts of Anglo-Saxon affairs. Covering the period from Julius Caesar's invasion of Britain to around the accession of Henry II in 1154, this volume is a translation of the chronicle into English, drawn from seven manuscripts and including notes. As none are the original, the authorship is unknown, although Thorpe argues that several elements indicate the influence of King Alfred (848/9-899) upon the chronicle's compilation. The text provides rich insights into Old English language, dialect and history.

Excerpt from The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Vol. 2: According to the Several Original Authorities; Translation XLII. (lil) year of his reign Christ was born. An. II. (iii.) The three astrologers came from the east part, in order that they might worship Christ; and the children were slain in Bethlehem, in persecution of Christ, by Herod. An. III. (iv.) In this year Herod died, stabbed by himself; and Archelaus his son succeeded to the kingdom. And the child Christ was borne back from Egypt. An. IV., V. (vi.) An. VI. (vii.) From the beginning of the world to this year, five thousand and two hundred winters were past. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The first continuous national history of any western people in their own language, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicletraces the history of early England from the migration of the Saxon war-lords, through Roman Britain, the onslaught of the Vikings, the Norman Conquest and on through the reign of Stephen. Michael Swanton's translation is the most complete and faithful reading ever published. Extensive notes draw on the latest evidence of paleographers, archaeologists and textual and social historians to place these annals in the context of current knowledge. Fully indexed and complemented by maps and genealogical tables, this edition allows ready access to one of the prime sources of English national culture. The introduction provides all the information a first-time reader could need, cutting an easy route through often complicated matters. Also includes nine maps.

The essential primary-source history of the British Isles through the early Middle Ages, fully annotated and illustrated with paintings and engravings. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is one of the most important sets of historical documents concerning the history of the British Isles. These vital accounts, thought to be first set down in the late ninth century by a scribe in Wessex, illuminate events through the Dark Ages that would otherwise be lost to history. Without this chronicle, it would be impossible to write the history of the English from the Romans to the Norman Conquest. The compilers of this chronicle included contemporary events they themselves witnessed, as well as those recorded by earlier annalists whose work is in many cases preserved nowhere else. With nine known versions of the Chronicle in existence, this translated edition presents a conflation of passages from different versions. Relying heavily on Rev. James Ingram’s 1828 translation, the footnotes provided are all those of Rev. Ingram. This edition also includes the complete Parker Manuscript.

Containing records of England's history from the Roman occupation to the twelfth century, The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a vital historical document. This edition, edited and translated by Benj Thorpe, offers a fascinating window into the everyday lives of Anglo-Saxons and the events that shaped their world. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.