The Alfred Duggan historical novel "Conscience of the King" paints imaginatively and brilliantly the origins of the "Anglo-Saxon" kingdom of Wessex by Cerdic. He was therein portrayed as a Romanized Briton from the area soon to be known as Sussex, who murdered his own brother, then in exile joined the kingdom of Kent for a while before setting up on his own. He fought Artorius and his heavy cavalry in a few campaigns, then settled down to rule his new kingdom. Nobody at the time even knew that Cerdic was a Romanized Briton, and he did not advertise his past; though he did leave his "autobiography" behind for us all to read.

The 1969 movie "Alfred the Great" (with David Hemmings) portrayed Alfred as a king who admired the wisdom, culture and learning of the ancients. He wins his last battle against Guthrum by aping Roman tactics.