8. SAINT AETHELRED, MARTYR-KING OF WESSEX

St. Aethelred came to the throne of the kingdom of Wessex on the death of his brother Aethelbert in 865. His reign was short and full of sorrows and suffering. Early in 871 the Great Army of the Vikings, having completed the conquest of East Anglia, crossed the Thames and entered the kingdom of Wessex. In two preliminary battles near Reading, the Christians were victorious, but then suffered defeat. Then under the leadership of King Aethelred and his younger brother Prince Alfred, they advanced to meet the Vikings at Ashdown.

Bishop Asser describes the ensuing battle thus: «The Vikings, splitting up into two divisions, organized shield-walls of equal size (for they then had two kings and a large number of earls), assigning the core of the army to the two kings and the rest to all the earls. When the Christians saw this, they too split up the army into two divisions in exactly the same way, and established shield-walls no less keenly. But as I have heard from truthful authorities who saw it, Alfred and his men reached the battlefield sooner and in better order; for his brother King Aethelred was still in his tent at prayer, attending the Divine Liturgy, and declaring firmly that he would not leave that place alive before the priest had finished the Liturgy, and that he would not forsake Divine service for that of men. And he did what he said. The faith of the Christian king counted for much with the Lord, as shall be shown more clearly in what follows.»

Thanks to the piety and courage of King Aethelred, who fought against the two pagan kings, and of Prince Alfred, who fought against the earls, the Christians won a famous victory – the first over the Great Army. But it was not sustained. After another defeat at Basing, King Aethelred suffered a mortal wound and died after Pascha, on April 23, 871. A plaque can be seen where his grave was at Wimborne Minster.

Holy Martyr-King Aethelred, pray to God for us!

(Sources: Bishop Asser, Life of King Alfred, chapters 37–38; The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 871)