Based on the provided information, Athelstan was the first king to rule all of England, not the entirety of Britain. The provided table describes the chronological list of sovereigns of Britain and Athelstan is specified as the first king of all England, not Britain. Therefore, the question is incomplete as it asks about the first ruler of Britain, not England. We need to clarify what constitutes "Britain" in the question.
The term "Britain" can be interpreted in a few ways:
- The island of Great Britain: This refers to the geographical landmass encompassing England, Scotland, and Wales.
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: This is the modern political entity.
- A unified political entity encompassing all of Britain: This interpretation would imply a singular monarch or ruling system controlling all parts of the island prior to the formal unification of Great Britain into a United Kingdom.
Based on the reference provided, Athelstan was the first king of England. Therefore, none of these interpretations can be answered completely through this singular reference. This reference pertains to the kingdom of England only.
Given this, it's more helpful to clarify that Athelstan was the first king of all of England, as stated in the reference table.
| King | Ruled Over |
|---|---|
| Athelstan | First King of all England |
It is important to understand that prior to the unification of England under Athelstan and subsequent unions of Scotland and Wales, the island was composed of several different kingdoms and regions with independent rulers and histories. For example, the Romans had conquered and ruled much of the British isles as the Roman province of Britannia from 43 CE to 410 CE but did not control the entire landmass. Furthermore, there were numerous Celtic and Anglo-Saxon kingdoms with their own rulers before the unification of England.
Therefore, without further clarification, the question "Who first ruled Britain?" cannot be fully answered using this reference alone.
