# Hengist and Horsa arrive in Kent (449)

URL: https://english-history.com/timeline/449-hengist-and-horsa-arrive-in-kent
Categories: main-event

According to later Anglo-Saxon tradition, Jutish leaders Hengist and Horsa came to Britain as mercenaries before turning against their hosts. Within the broader Post-Roman Britain period, Roman institutions gave way to competing Brittonic and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms while Christianity was rebuilt through continental and Irish missions. This event is placed at traditional date 449 in the chronology so it can be read alongside the political, military, social and cultural changes around it. The story, though partly legendary, reflects the growth of Germanic settlement in eastern and southern Britain.

## Why it matters
The story, though partly legendary, reflects the growth of Germanic settlement in eastern and southern Britain.

Ruler at the time: [Post-Roman and Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms](https://english-history.com/rulers/post-roman-and-anglo-saxon-kingdoms)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia topic lookup — Hengist and Horsa arrive in Kent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Hengist+and+Horsa+arrive+in+Kent&go=Go)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Hengist and Horsa arrive in Kent](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Hengist+and+Horsa+arrive+in+Kent)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of British history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_British_history_%28before_1000%29)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica — Anglo-Saxon England topic search](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Anglo-Saxon%20England)