The warrior king who conquered kingdoms, then abdicated to seek baptism in Rome
In short: Cædwalla was a man of violent extremes. After rising from exile to rule Wessex, he crushed rival dynasties and expanded his territory through bloody conquest. Yet, in a sudden turn, the king who once sought to settle scores through the sword abdicated his throne to travel to Rome for spiritual cleansing.
Cædwalla, a king of the Gewisse (later known as the West Saxons), ascended to the throne around 685 or 686. His rise was marked by intense military aggression. Having spent his youth in exile, he gathered forces to attack the South Saxons, killing their king, Æthelwealh. He later expanded his influence by conquering the Isle of Wight, Surrey, and the kingdom of Kent, where he installed his brother, Mul, as king in 686.
His reign was characterized by a complex relationship with the burgeoning Christian church. While often described as a pagan, Cædwalla showed significant respect for religious institutions, granting land for minsters and working with figures like Bishop Wilfrid to build ecclesiastical infrastructure. Even his most brutal actions had religious dimensions; for instance, he permitted the two young heirs of the Isle of Wight's King Arwald to be baptised before he ordered their execution.
The end of his life was as dramatic as his conquests. Possibly due to wounds sustained during the conquest of the Isle of Wight, Cædwalla abdicated in 688. He embarked on a pilgrimage to Rome, stopping in Francia and the Lombard court along the way. In April 689, he was baptised by Pope Sergius I, taking the name Peter. He died just ten days later, on 20 April 689, and was buried in St Peter's Basilica.
Historians rely on diverse sources to reconstruct his life, including Bede’s 'Ecclesiastical History of the English People' and the 'Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'. These accounts, while providing vital details, also present contradictions regarding his exact dates of reign and the nature of the 'underkings' who preceded him, suggesting a period of significant political transition in 7th-century England.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Cædwalla
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