Page 23 - Alfred the Great And His Legacy

Reason Four: Improving Literacy And Promoting

Learning.

• Alfred is most exceptional, however, for his attitude to learning.

• He viewed the Viking raids as a divine punishment for the people’s sins, &

he attributed these to the decline in learning. For only through learning

could men acquire learning & live in accordance with God’s will.

• He had also been inspired by what he saw at a young age visiting Rome,

meeting the Pope who presented him with all the insignia of a Consul.

Then travelling back through many of the glittering courts of Europe.

• Alfred also realized at the outset that you also need a level of literacy in

order to arrange all his infrastructure projects.