Invicta is a Latin word meaning invincible, undefeated, or unconquered. It has been used in mottoes like Roma invicta (Latin for "Unconquered Rome"), and it is the motto of the county of Kent, England. [1]
Invicta is a Latin word meaning invincible, undefeated, or unconquered. It has been used in mottoes like Roma invicta (Latin for "Unconquered Rome"), and it is the motto of the county of Kent, England. [1]
"Invicta" has been a motto for centuries. Roma invicta is a Latin phrase, meaning "Unconquered Rome", inscribed on a statue in Rome.[ which? ] It was an inspirational motto used until the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. This symbolic statement was later printed onto gold coins, to help boost the morale of the failing Empire.
For Kent, it dates back to the invasion of England by Duke William of Normandy in the year 1066. As the official motto, it appears on the coat of arms of Kent County Council.
Leaving the battle site at Hastings, William marched on to London on his way to the (then) capital Winchester. While passing through Kent, the local people attacked and harassed William's men. The uncertain William and his army fled and went a different route to London. As the people of Kent had chased William away, they adopted "Invicta" as a county motto. [2]
A different version of the legend above is depicted on a monument at Swanscombe, where legend states this meeting took place on the Old Roman Road to London (Watling Street). The monument, sculpted by Hilary Stratton and unveiled in 1958, was moved in the early 1960s due to the construction of the A2 dual carriageway. It is now located in the churchyard of St Peter and St Paul's Church in Swanscombe, where the picture (right) was taken.
The monument states that:
Near this spot by ancient tradition the men of Kent and Kentish men carrying boughs on their shoulders and swords in their hands met the invader William Duke of Normandy. They offered peace if he would grant their ancient rights and liberties otherwise war and that most deadly. Their request was granted and from that day the motto of Kent has been INVICTA meaning Unconquered.
Because Dover and Kent were not besieged or defeated on William's march, but instead the people demanded and received preservation of their rights in exchange for acknowledging his kingship and peace, they were therefore not conquered by him. Holding of land in Kent by gavelkind, rather than the Norman laws of primogeniture, lasted until the early-20th century suggesting that the people of Kent were successful in maintaining their rights. [3] [4] [5]
As the motto of the county, "Invicta" is now a frequently used term within Kent.[ citation needed ]
"Cidade Invicta" ("Unvanquished City") is coined of the city of Porto, Portugal. It was earned during the Napoleonic invasions in the 19th century.
The Jutes were one of the Germanic tribes who settled in Great Britain after the departure of the Romans. According to Bede, they were one of the three most powerful Germanic nations, along with the Angles and the Saxons:
Those who came over were of the three most powerful nations of Germany—Saxons, Angles, and Jutes. From the Jutes are descended the people of Kent, and of the Isle of Wight, and those also in the province of the West Saxons who are to this day called Jutes, seated opposite to the Isle of Wight.
Kent is a county in the South East England region, the closest county to continental Europe. It borders Essex across the entire estuary of the River Thames to the north; the French department of Pas-de-Calais across the Strait of Dover to the south-east; East Sussex to the south-west; Surrey to the west and Greater London to the north-west. The county town is Maidstone.
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Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some writers say it is the largest castle in England, a title also claimed by Windsor Castle.
The Regni were a Celtic tribe or group of tribes living in Britain prior to the Roman Conquest, and later a civitas or canton of Roman Britain. They lived in what is now Sussex, as well as small parts of Hampshire, Surrey and Kent, with their tribal heartland at Noviomagus Reginorum.
Cunobeline or Cunobelin, also known by his name's Latin form Cunobelinus, was a king in pre-Roman Britain from about AD 9 to about AD 40. He is mentioned in passing by the classical historians Suetonius and Dio Cassius, and many coins bearing his inscription have been found. He controlled a substantial portion of south-eastern Britain, including the territories of the Catuvellauni and the Trinovantes, and is called "King of the Britons" by Suetonius. Cunobeline may have been a client king of Rome, based on the images and legends appearing on his coins. Cunobeline appears in British legend as Cynfelyn (Welsh), Kymbelinus or Cymbeline, as in the play by William Shakespeare.
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Swanscombe /ˈswɒnzkəm/ is a village in the Borough of Dartford in Kent, England, and the civil parish of Swanscombe and Greenhithe. It is 4.4 miles west of Gravesend and 4.8 miles east of Dartford.
Kent is a traditional county in South East England with long-established human occupation.
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Roma invicta is a Latin phrase, meaning "unconquered Rome". It was an inspirational motto used until the Fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. This symbolic statement was later printed onto gold coins.
The white horse of Kent, known colloquially as the white horse rampant, is a symbol of the county of Kent, in south-east England. The heraldic image is correctly blazoned as Gules, a stallion forcené argent.
Invictus may refer to:
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