THE ROMAN TIMES IN BRITISH HISTORY
    In the early days of history (50-450) England was known as Britain and the people who lived there were the Britons. There were no big towns on the British Isles at that time. People lived in small villages along the rivers or near the sea. The Britons caught fish, grew wheat and had many pigs, cows and sheep in the meadows near the rivers and on the sides of the mountains. Later they learned to make things of wool and metal and sold them to the people who came across the sea.
    The Romans with Julius Caesar at the head invaded the British Isles and forced the population to pay tribute.
    The Romans kept their armies in Britain. They built roads and had the country under control.
    They protected themselves from the attacks of the Britons by the walls which they built across Britain.
    You can see the Roman walls in Britain even now. Here is Hadrian's Wall which was built by the emperor Hadrian in the year 122.
    The Romans left the country only in the second half of the 5th century. The Roman armies were called back to Italy where they defended the country from barbaric peoples. Roman-римский; n римлянин British Isles-Британские островаan invader-завоевательto protect-защищатьthe Britons-бриттыto invade-завоевывать to force-заставлять population-население tribute-дань to keep (kept;kept)-держать a road-дорога a century-век barbaric-варварский THE ENGLISH KINGDOMS
    The Britons could not keep their land free for a long time. The Germanic tribes from Western Europe-the Angles, Saxons and Jutes-attacked the coasts of Вritain and after long wars with the Britons settled on the British Isles. The Britons fought bravely against the enemies and defended their land. But the enemies were stronger. They took houses, fields and cattle from the Britons. The Angles got most of the land and became the strongest tribe. The Britons went to the mountains in the west of the Isles and settled there. This part of Britain is called Wales now. As time went on the two peoples - the Angles and the Saxons - grew into one and were called Anglo-Saxons. They called their speech English, and their country England - that is, the Land of the English.
    The Anglo-Saxons formed many kingdoms-Kent, Essex, Wessex, which now are counties of Great Britain. These kingdoms were at war with one another. The stronger kings took the land from the smaller kingdoms .a kingdom - королевство a coast - берег to form - образовывать land-земля a tribe - племя Europe -Европа the Angles - англы the Saxons - саксы the Jutes -юты a county -графство a nation-нация to settle - поселяться KING ALFRED THE GREAT For two hundred years the English people were at war with the Danes who came from Denmark and the Northmen who came from Scandinavia. King Alfred when he was a boy of sixteen took part in the battles with the enemies. At twenty he became king of Wessex and began to prepare for the defence of the country. He built a feet of ships and fortifications on the coasts. The small kingdoms were united to fignt against the invaders. After the victory over the Danes, King Alfred did much for his people. He opened schools, asked scholars to translate into English the best works of world literature and worked out the English code. The English people named him Alfred the Great. to be at war-воевать defence - оборона the Danes - датчане Denmark - Дания the Northmen - жители северной Европы; скандинавы a battle - битва a fleet - флот fortifications-укрепления to unite-объединяться a scholar -ученый a code - свод законов INGLAND UNDER FOREIGN KINGS
    The Danes returned again and again to attack England. The English people had to pay tribute. But the Danes wanted to rule over the country and after many battles took the crown from the English. They held it for twenty-four years. Three Danish kings, one after the other, ruled over England. One of these kings - Canute was at the same time king of England, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The rule of Danish kings over England came to an end soon after Canute's death in 1035.
    Now the Normans began to attack the coasts of England from Normandy (France). In 1066 the Normans won the victory and William, Duke of Normandy, was crowned king of England and called William the Conqueror.
    The invaders burnt houses and killed people. The land was taken from the English and given to the Normans. The invaders spoke French, and it was the language of the upper classes and the government. English was the language of the lower classes. to. role-управлять the Normans - норманны a crown-корона Canute-Канут Norway-Норвегия Sweden-Швеция death - смерть a duke-герцог to crown-короновать a conqueror- завоеватель to burn (burnt; burnt) -жечь to kill - убивать upper classes-аристократия
    ROBIN HOOD
    After Duke Wiliiam conquered England he took away lands and houses, money and cattle from the Anglo-Saxons and gave them to the Normans. Many poor Anglo-Saxons became the serfs of the Normans. Two different peoples lived in England at that time: each spoke its own language, and each hated the other. This went on for a very long time.
    Robin Hood was a legendary hero of those times. He was well known_and loved by the poor people of England. ............