In the end of the 4th century Rome was attacked by the barbarian tribes. So they called back all the legions from Britain. Britain remained defenceless and was attacked by the Picts from Caledonia and the Scots from Ireland. It was attacked also by three peoples coming from Northern Europe: the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes. They destroyed every form of Roman civilization and divided the country into seven kingdoms of which the most important was the Wessex where the king was. The king was elected by the witan composed by the most important nobles or thanes from the seven kingdoms..