英国文学补充资料1.docVIP

英国文学补充资料1 PART ONE: EARLY AND MEDIEVAL ENGLISH LITERATURE Chapter 1. The Making of England Ⅰ. The Britons: ???? Before entering upon the study of English literature, it is necessary to know something about the English people. The English people are of a mixed blood. The early inhabitants in the island now we call England were Britons, a tribe of Celts. From the Britons the island got its name of Britain, the land of Britons. The Britons were a primitive people. They were divided into dozens of small tribes, each of which lived in a clustering of huts. The oldest Celtic laws that have come down to our day show the gens still in full vitality. (Engels) The Britons lived in the tribal society. Ⅱ. The Roman Conquest: ???? In 55 B.C., Britain was invaded by Julius Caesar, the Roman conqueror, who had then just occupied Gaul. But as soon as the Romans landed on shore of the island, the Britons fought like lions under the leadership of their chieftain. And with the comings and goings of many Roman generals within the time of a century, Britain was not completely subjugated to the Roman Empire until 78 A.D. With the Roman Conquest the Roman mode of life came across to Britain also. Roman theatres and baths quickly rose in the towns. All these refinements of civilization, however, were for the enjoyment of the Roman conquerors while the native Britons were trodden down as slaves. The Roman occupation lasted for about 400 years, during which the Romans, for military purposes, built a network of highways, later called the Roman roads, which remained useful for a long time to come. Along these roads grew up scores of towns, and London, one of them, became an important trading centre. It was also during the Roman rule that Christianity was introduced to Britain. But at the beginning of the fifth century, the Roman Empire was in the process of declining. And in 410 A.D., all the Roman troops went back to the continent and never returned. Thus ended the Roman occupation in Bri