Rhodri Mawr Was Also Known As Rhodri the Great. He Was Born in 820 in Caer Seiont

Rhodri Mawr

Background

Rhodri Mawr was also known as Rhodri the Great. He was born in 820 in Caer Seiont, Caernarvonshire. He was the son of Merfyn Frych (Merfyn the freckled!!!), the King of Gwynedd. Rhodri himself became King of Gwynedd in 844 when his father died. When his uncle Cyngen ap Cadell died on a pilgrimage to Rome in 855 Rhodri became King of Powys. Then in 872 he took over the kingdom Seisyllwg in southern Wales when the King there was accidentally drowned. Rhodri was now ruler of most of Wales.

Dinefwr castle

Rhodri was famed for being a warrior and it is believed he built Dinefwr castle in Camarthenshire which still stands today. Problems

Rhodri faced problems from the English and the Danes who were more and more often attacking his lands. In 854 The Danes attacked Anglesey and Rhodri decided to go to war. In 856 Rhodri defeated the Danes in battle, killing their leader Gorm . However In 877 Rhodri fought another battle against the Norse invaders on Anglesey, this time being forced to flee to Ireland.

Defeat and Death

On his return the following year, he and his son Gwriad found themselves in another battle. This time Alfred the Great of England attacked Rhodri. In this battle both Rhodri and his son were killed. A few years later another of Rhodri’s sons Anarawd ap Rhodri defeated the English in battle it was described as "God's vengeance for Rhodri".

Succession

Another of Rhodri’s sons Cadell ap Rhodri eventually inherited Rhodri’s crown and he went on to conquer Dyfed, which was later joined with Seisyllwg by Rhodri's grandson Hywel Dda to become Deheubarth. Like his grandfather, Hywel would come to rule most of Wales.