{"slug": "offa-of-mercia", "label": "Offa of Mercia", "wikipedia": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offa_of_Mercia", "wikidata": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q233573", "qid": "Q233573", "description": "King of Mercia", "entries": 21, "years": 20, "span": [730, 796], "span_label": ["730 CE", "796 CE"], "topics": [{"title": "Conflict & Security", "count": 9}, {"title": "Crime & Justice", "count": 3}, {"title": "Religion & Belief", "count": 3}, {"title": "Culture & Society", "count": 2}, {"title": "Deaths", "count": 2}, {"title": "Births", "count": 1}, {"title": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "count": 1}], "related": [{"slug": "mercia", "label": "Mercia", "shared": 10}, {"slug": "kingdom-of-kent", "label": "Kingdom of Kent", "shared": 7}, {"slug": "kingdom-of-east-anglia", "label": "Kingdom of East Anglia", "shared": 3}, {"slug": "london", "label": "London", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "wessex", "label": "Wessex", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "anglo-saxons", "label": "Anglo-Saxons", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "kingdom-of-sussex", "label": "Kingdom of Sussex", "shared": 2}, {"slug": "anglo-saxon-chronicle", "label": "Anglo-Saxon Chronicle", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "english-channel", "label": "English Channel", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "ine-of-wessex", "label": "Ine of Wessex", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "thelbald-of-mercia", "label": "Æthelbald of Mercia", "shared": 1}, {"slug": "kingdom-of-powys", "label": "Kingdom of Powys", "shared": 1}], "items": [{"year": 730, "year_label": "730 CE", "section": "Births", "date": null, "text": "Offa of Mercia (approximate date)", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340808684#Births", "title": "730", "revid": 1340808684, "section": "Births"}}, {"year": 757, "year_label": "757 CE", "section": "Crime & Justice", "date": null, "text": "King Æthelbald of Mercia is murdered by his own household in a palace coup. He is succeeded briefly by Beornred, but he is, in turn, ousted by Æthelbald's distant cousin, Offa. In the meantime, Mercian supremacy over Southern England is lost.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1341678247#Britain", "title": "AD 757", "revid": 1341678247, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 760, "year_label": "760 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Battle of Hereford: The Welsh kingdoms of Brycheiniog, Gwent and Powys defeat the Mercians under King Offa at Hereford. They free themselves from the influence of the Anglo-Saxons.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1358120145#Britain", "title": "760", "revid": 1358120145, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 764, "year_label": "764 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "King Offa of Mercia conquers Kent, and brings an end to the rule of kings Ealhmund and Sigered in West Kent. He imposes Mercian overlordship on the kingdom, but allows a local king, Heaberht, to rule there.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340847738#Britain", "title": "764", "revid": 1340847738, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 771, "year_label": "771 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "King Offa of Mercia defeats the Haestingas, and joins their little region to his sub-kingdom of Sussex.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340847758#Europe", "title": "771", "revid": 1340847758, "section": "Events › By place › Europe"}}, {"year": 772, "year_label": "772 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "In England, King Offa of Mercia attempts to rule Kent directly, possibly to depose his rival Egbert II (approximate date).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1359487792#Europe", "title": "772", "revid": 1359487792, "section": "Events › By place › Europe"}}, {"year": 774, "year_label": "774 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "King Offa of Mercia subdues the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Kent and Wessex (approximate date).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340848019#Britain", "title": "774", "revid": 1340848019, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 776, "year_label": "776 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Battle of Otford: King Egbert II of Kent defeats the Mercians under King Offa (near Otford), and re-asserts himself as ruler of Kent.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340848048#Britain", "title": "776", "revid": 1340848048, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 779, "year_label": "779 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Battle of Bensington: King Offa of Mercia defeats his rival Cynewulf of Wessex at Bensington (modern-day Oxfordshire). He seizes control of Berkshire, and probably London as well. According to sources of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Offa becomes \"King of All England\". Charlemagne writes a letter to him as \"his dearest brother\", but when Offa refuses to let one of Charlemagne's sons marry one of his daughters, Charlemagne threatens to close the ports to English traders.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340848243#Britain", "title": "779", "revid": 1340848243, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 780, "year_label": "780 CE", "section": "Culture & Society", "date": null, "text": "The city of Aldwych rises as an important trading centre in London, under Mercian control. King Offa of Mercia possibly establishes a royal palace at Aldermanbury, on the site of the old Roman Cripplegate fort and amphitheatre (approximate date).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1364753540#Britain", "title": "780", "revid": 1364753540, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 785, "year_label": "785 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "King Offa of Mercia re-asserts his control of Kent, deposes his rival Egbert II, and establishes direct Mercian rule. Egbert's brother, Eadberht Præn, flees to the court of Charlemagne.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1351342449#Britain", "title": "785", "revid": 1351342449, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 786, "year_label": "786 CE", "section": "Conflict & Security", "date": null, "text": "Cyneheard is executed and succeeded by Beorhtric, through the support of King Offa of Mercia. His rival claimant to the Wessex throne, a distant nephew of the late king Ine, named Egbert, is driven across the Channel.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340848276#Britain", "title": "786", "revid": 1340848276, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 787, "year_label": "787 CE", "section": "Religion & Belief", "date": null, "text": "Kings Offa of Mercia and Beorhtric of Wessex call the Synod of Chelsea in Kent, which is attended by the Papal legates. There, Offa persuades the Papacy to grant Archepiscopal status to the Mercian See of Lichfield. In order to secure the royal succession, he has Hygeberht crown his son Ecgfrith king of Mercia at Brixworth.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1369558832#Britain", "title": "AD 787", "revid": 1369558832, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 789, "year_label": "789 CE", "section": "Culture & Society", "date": null, "text": "King Beorhtric of Wessex marries Princess Eadburh, daughter of King Offa of Mercia, and accepts Mercian overlordship.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340848283#Britain", "title": "789", "revid": 1340848283, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 790, "year_label": "790 CE", "section": "Geopolitics & Diplomacy", "date": null, "text": "King Offa of Mercia takes control of East Anglia. King Æthelberht II mints his own coins, in defiance of his overlord (approximate date).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340848291#Britain", "title": "790", "revid": 1340848291, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 792, "year_label": "792 CE", "section": "Crime & Justice", "date": "September", "text": "September – King Æthelred I of Northumbria marries Princess Ælfflæd, daughter of King Offa of Mercia, at Catterick. Unrest in Northumbria tempts the exiled king Osred II back to his kingdom from the Isle of Man. His supporters desert him, and Osred II is killed by Æthelred's men at Aynburg. He is buried at Tynemouth Priory.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1364906591#Britain", "title": "792", "revid": 1364906591, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 793, "year_label": "793 CE", "section": "Religion & Belief", "date": null, "text": "King Offa of Mercia founds an abbey at St Albans.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1364906953#Religion", "title": "793", "revid": 1364906953, "section": "Events › By topic › Religion"}}, {"year": 794, "year_label": "794 CE", "section": "Crime & Justice", "date": "May 20", "text": "May 20 – King Æthelberht II of East Anglia visits the royal Mercian court at Sutton Walls (Herefordshire), with a view to marrying Princess Ælfthryth. He is taken captive and beheaded, on the orders of King Offa.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340848638#Britain", "title": "794", "revid": 1340848638, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 795, "year_label": "795 CE", "section": "Religion & Belief", "date": null, "text": "King Offa of Mercia receives diplomatic gifts from Charlemagne. He re-founds St. Albans Abbey, supposedly in thanks for overrunning East Anglia (approximate date).", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1340848647#Britain", "title": "795", "revid": 1340848647, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 796, "year_label": "796 CE", "section": "Deaths", "date": null, "text": "King Offa of Mercia and Charlemagne seal a trading agreement, and a marriage alliance is proposed. However, Offa dies after a 39-year reign, that has incorporated Kent, Essex, Sussex, and East Anglia into the Mercian realm. Offa is buried at Bedford, and succeeded for a short time by his son Ecgfrith, and then a distant cousin, Coenwulf.", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1364907018#Britain", "title": "796", "revid": 1364907018, "section": "Events › By place › Britain"}}, {"year": 796, "year_label": "796 CE", "section": "Deaths", "date": "July 29", "text": "July 29 – Offa, king of Mercia (b. 730)", "cite": {"url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1364907018#Deaths", "title": "796", "revid": 1364907018, "section": "Deaths"}}]}