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- King of All Wales
Just as Egbert, King of the West Saxons and later of Kent, is the first ruler to be styled King of the Angles or English people in 829-30, so Rhodri Mawr, (Rhodri the Great, 820-78) is remembered as the first to claim the title of king of the Welsh. He was the first to unite most of Wales under his rule, 844-78.
Professor Davies points out that the title "great" was bestowed upon only two other rules in the same century: Charlemagne (Charles the Great) and Alfred the Great. All three contributed greatly to the growth of statehood among their respecitve nations. Rhodri, son of Merfyn Frych, became King of Gwyneed in 844, following the death of this father; of Powy following the dath of his uncle in 855; and of Seisyllwg (including Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi) following the death of his brother-in-law in 872. He was most successful in keeping out the Danes and the English from settling his territories.
By uniting the three principal kindoms of Wales under his rule, Rhodri showed that an indepedent Wales could exist that need not be subservient to the rule of English monarchs. Gwynfor Evans cites Nora Chadwick, calling Rhodri "the greatest of all the kings of Wales." His success was mainly due to his creation of a consciousness in the Welsh-speaking people of Britain that they could act together as one. Gwynfor Evans alsolaments the fact that this great king had no biographer to properly record his achievements, unlike Alfred of Wessex, who had a biiographer Asser, a Welshman fro St. David's. Rhodri was killed in 878 fighting against the English of Mercia.
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Abt 789 - 878 (~ 89 years)