Besides Watling Street, the city of Rochester is known to have been defended by walls built in the direction of the cardinal points, according to the Roman custom. They extended for half a mile from east to west, and close upon a quarter of a mile from north to south. After the Romans had departed, this place came into the possession of the Saxons. They renamed it "Hrove Ceaster," which in process of time became contracted to Rochester. During the early Saxon period Ethelbert, King of Kent, through the influence of his queen and the preaching of St. Augustine, who had just arrived, became a convert to Christianity. By this king, as we have seen, Canterbury Cathedral was richly endowed. To help carry out the papal instructions given to Augustine, Ethelbert in 600 founded a church in Rochester. By erecting this into a see, he, at the same time, laid the foundation of the future prosperity of the city. The building was dedicated to St. Andrew. A monastery for secular priests was also established, over whom was appointed for their bishop, Justus, who had accompanied St. Augustine and his forty monks into Britain. This cathedral suffered at many times, in common with the city, from several incursions of the Danes. The city, more especially in 676, was sacked and almost destroyed by Etheldred, the King of Mercia, whilst in 839 the Danes landed at Romney, defeated the troops sent to oppose them, and massacred most of the inhabitants. Again, in 885, they sailed up the Medway under the leadership of Hasting, and laid siege to Rochester. Fortunately for the city it was rescued by the timely assistance of Alfred. Three mints established by Athelstan in 930, two for himself and one for the bishop, and the fact of the city being then recognised as one of the chief ports of England, show with what rapidity it had regained prosperity. This peaceful state was rudely awakened, however, in 999. The Danes reappeared in the Medway, before whom the terror-stricken inhabitants fled and abandoned the city to their fury. At the Conquest, Rochester was given by William to his half-brother, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, who was also created Earl of Kent. In the reign of William Rufus he was implicated in a conspiracy to dethrone Rufus in favour of Robert Duke of Normandy. Thereby his possessions reverted to the Crown. In this Rochester suffered. In 1130 Henry I. attended at the consecration of the church of St. Andrew by Lanfranc. During the ceremony a fire broke out. The city was almost reduced to ashes. [Illustration: ROCHESTER CATHEDRAL AND CASTLE]