Many questions surrounding Bede's account of Briton-Roman-Ango-Saxon-Celtic England deal with the rise of culture. After Rome pulled out, the British Isle fell into anarchy, stasis, re-settlement, invasion, lack of defense, disunity, failure of politics, etc -- in a word (or more), an unstable and very primitive Dark-Age life.

       By the end of Bede's Historia, civilization had returned to Britain (often re-named Angle-Land).   Geoffrey Ashe, a popular historian of Anglo-Saxon England, saw the birth of the “ United Kingdom” at this time.  Bede presented a story of linear progress, and regress -- ebb and flow -- with the tide of civilized life slowly but surely coming in, not going out.  Linear progress -- lines -- are made of points strung together in direct relation to each other. Let's try to identify some of those points, let's find that line of progress together in discussion. This sort of discussion should help immensely in the other questions we have before us.

       For this discussion, prepare:    Which Bretwalda (or particular moment) in Bede represented England's most cultured and civilized phase (pre-735 A.D.)?   Why this one and not the others?   Cite evidence, reasons, events and/or context to explain.