Person

Offa of Mercia

d. 796 · 8th century · Also known as Offa

Offa was king of Mercia in central England from 757 to 796 and the most powerful Anglo-Saxon king before Alfred. He brought Kent, Sussex and East Anglia under his rule, crushed Kentish resistance and dealt with Charlemagne as an equal. He is remembered for Offa's Dyke, the earthwork along the Welsh border, and for a new silver penny coinage.

Offa of Mercia
Image: Offa (07..-0796; roi de Mercie). Autorité émettrice de monnaie · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Kingdom of PowysMilitary, Impact, SummaryKingdom of WessexGovernanceKingdom of MerciaSocioeconomy, Military, Governance, Impact, Decline, Summary

Mentioned in 5 state histories

Kingdom of PowysKingdom of KentKingdom of SussexKingdom of MerciaKingdom of the Hwicce

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Offa of Mercia. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/offa-of-mercia
MLA
“Offa of Mercia.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/offa-of-mercia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Offa of Mercia.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/offa-of-mercia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Offa of Mercia’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/offa-of-mercia (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻