Alfred Was Great Because Of His Curiosity And Military Prowess

Other monarchs who were outstanding generals were many. Alfred the Great was unique due to his passion for study and efforts to promote it throughout the realm. He supported English language education, attracted European academics, translated works of literature, etc. He worked hard, and Wessex became a nation of educated citizens instead of a barbaric mob. He picked up poetry by listening to it read out and then reciting it, but he was unable to read it himself until he was in his teens. Even then, he was unable to read Latin, the language used to write the most significant literary masterpieces of his era.

After almost a century of Viking assaults and conflict, Alfred's tremendous military and administrative prowess helped to settle Britain. In addition to establishing public schools, reforming the military, and expanding and updating the law code, he also pioneered the practice of translating classical literature from Latin into English. His piety, fairness, and lofty vision of a better future for his people led later historians to hail him as the most ideal monarch of the Middle Ages, particularly during the Victorian era.