The Historic King Arthur

Who was King Arthur? How did the story originate? Through careful research of the many primary documents, a picture of the true Arthur can in fact be set down. He reached power shortly after the Romans evacuated Britain at the end of the fifth century and died at the Battle of Camlann. He became king at 15 under the name of Ambrosius Aurelianus and fought against the Saxons on the mainland as Riothamus, thus explaining the regeneration motif so closely tied to the mythical Arthur. This study reveals that the integrity and ideals central to Arthurian myth were very much a part of the real Arthur.

The late Frank D. Reno lectured throughout the United States and in 2002 was invited to Britain to contribute to the BBC documentary Arthur: King of the Britons. He lived in Lafayette, Colorado.

Frank D. Reno

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 458
Bibliographic Info: 48 photos, maps, tables, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2007 [1996]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3025-3
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments     vi
List of Illustrations     ix
List of Abbreviations of Works Cited in the Text     xi
Preface     1

1. Introduction     5
2. The Ancient Manuscripts     19
3. The Cardinal and Ordinal Years for the Arthurian Chronology     66
4. Hillforts and Roman Roads     124
5. The Geography of Mount Badon     140
6. The Geography of Camlann     179
7. Other Sites: Camelot and Tintagel     202
8. The Isle of Avalon: Arthur’s Resting Place     221
9. Ambrosius Aurelianus: History and Tradition     263
10. Riothamus: The Briton from Across the Ocean     286
11. Arthur: Historical and Literary Data     293
12. The Phoenix Arises     326

Appendices     365
Glossary     371
Notes     385
Selected Bibliography     413
Index     421

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