Alfred the Great (849 - October 26, 899) was King of Wessex from 871 to 899. He successfully defended his kingdom against the Viking attempt at conquest, and by the time of his death had become the dominant ruler in England. He is the only English monarch to be accorded the epithet "the Great". His reputation has been that of a learned and merciful man. His reign is remembered for the formulation of a code of ethics and a rebirth of religious and scholarly activity, along with the promotion of education. He also fostered sound governance, and military skill and innovation in his defense of Anglo-Saxon England from Viking raids. He has been described as being a pious Christian ruler, who promoted the use of English rather than Latin, and so the translations that he commissioned were viewed as untainted by the later Roman Catholic influences of the Normans. He is regarded as a saint by some Catholics, but an attempt by king Henry VI in 1441 to have him canonized was unsuccessful. The Anglican Communion venerates him as a Christian hero. He died in 899 at the age of 50. How he died is unknown, although he suffered throughout his life with a painful and unpleasant illness. Modern doctors believe he may have suffered from Crohn's disease or hemorrhoidal disease.