Saxon mercenaries, collapsing Roman order, and a new chapter for Britain. Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Peter Heather to explore the mysterious Saxon migrations, their Germanic roots, and how they shaped early medieval Britain. A gripping dive into post-Roman chaos and emerging kingdoms.MOREThe Fall of Roman Britainhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/6vMwL1dueziXVNOwloY9xnThe Origins of Londonhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/0vE8PGKJ858AY1bhwd4D0rPresented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Nick Thomson, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.Theme music from Motion Array, all other music from Epidemic SoundsThe Ancients is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here:https://uk.surveymonkey.com/r/6FFT7MK
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It's the mid-fifth century. Decades have passed since the last Roman field troops had left Britain, symbolising the end of Roman control. Once the most prosperous and protected part of the island, southern Britain is now vulnerable. Fearsome raiders from present-day Scotland and Ireland threaten these lands. But help is at hand.
Southern Britain's new Romano-British leaders, warlords, have sought aid from overseas. And Saxon mercenaries have answered the call. It's the Ancients on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes, your host. Today we're exploring the story of the Saxons, one of the most recognisable non-Roman peoples from the late Ancient and early Medieval periods in Western Europe.
Over the course of more than a century, they would rise to become a dominant force in Britain, ultimately forming famous kingdoms like Wessex and Mercia. But the nature of their arrival into Britain remains highly debated. What do we know about the Saxon migrations into Britain? Did they really start with these mercenary bands coming to the aid of Romano-British warlords?
And then did they grow into something much bigger? Well, fortunately, recent studies have started to shine new light on this intriguing topic, as you're about to find out.
Joining me to discuss the Saxon story, from their Germanic origins, to their interactions with the Roman Empire, to their migrations to Britain, I was delighted to interview Dr Peter Heather, Professor of Medieval History at King's College London. Now Peter, he is a good friend of the podcast.
He's been on the show recently to talk through the barbarian invasions that gripped the Western Roman Empire during the last century of its existence. Now he's back to talk through what we know about the Saxons and their migrations to Britain following Rome's departure. Enjoy. Peter, it is a pleasure to have you back on the podcast. It's an absolute pleasure to be here.
Now, in the past on The Ancients, we've covered in-depth topics on the Vandals, the Goths. We've done the Franks as well. And it feels like we need to do an episode also on the Saxons. They're another of these big barbarian groups that really rise to the fore at the end of the Western Roman Empire. Yeah. We'll cover the Saxons in Britain, but first we do need to go back to the origins.
I mean, when do we first hear about a group called Saxons in our sources?
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