BattlefieldsAelle of Sussex: Landing and Early Sussex Battles, c.477 to 491
Early Medieval

Aelle of Sussex: Landing and Early Sussex Battles, c.477 to 491

477
East Sussex, England
Era
Early Medieval
Battle Type
Campaign
Location
East Sussex, England
Status
Unregistered
The Combatants

Who Fought

Defeated
Romano-British defenders of Sussex coast
VS
Victor
South Saxons (Aelle)
Outcome
South Saxons established in Sussex; British driven into the Weald; Anderitum (Pevensey) captured and its defenders killed in 491, per the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Battle

History & Significance

Aelle of Sussex: Landing and Early Sussex Battles, c.477 to 491 was a campaign of the Early Medieval period, fought in East Sussex, England in 477. This engagement forms part of the broader pattern of conflict that shaped the political and military history of the UK during this era.

Suspected site. The exact location is uncertain.
Casualties & Losses

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle states of the 491 siege of Anderitum that Aelle and Cissa 'killed all who lived there; there was not even one Briton left', though historians regard this total-annihilation language as legendary convention rather than a verified figure.

Forces Involved

The size of the opposing forces is not recorded in the surviving sources.

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