King Arthur In Antiquity

The author of this essay argues that there are two older figures who can be clearly connected with traditional Arthurian characters and adventure, including an ancient Gawain, a Lady of Shallott, and a predecessor of Excalibur. He shows that the Arthurian universe found in Welsh tales and French romances is already anticipated in these earliest of Arthurian materials. This radical reassessment of the Arthurian legends provides a new perspective on an age-old historical puzzle.

This original and compelling study argues against the traditional identification of Arthur as a king in Celtic Britain. Instead, Graham Anderson explores the evidence for two much older figures, known to classical writers as kings of Arcadia and Lydia, over a millenium before. He shows how these kings can be clearly connected with traditional Arthurian characters and adventure, including an ancient Gawain, a Lady of Shallott, and a predecessor of Excalibur, and shows that the Arthurian universe found in Welsh tales and French romances is already anticipated in these earliest of Arthurian materials. This radical reassessment of the Arthurian legends provides a new perspective on on age-old historical puzzle, and will provoke debate amongst Classical and Medieval scholars and Arthurian enthusiasts.