King Arthur
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Chivalry. Knights of the Round Table. Excalibur. The Lady of Avalon. All of these words bring to mind an era of romance and intrigue, birth and death, terrible tragedy and aching love. A glorious era of Britain's history where one man reigned supreme: King Arthur. His very name is shrouded in mystery and doubt. Some say he was to have existed during "Sub-Roman Britain", a label applied by specialists to Britannia in the fifth and sixth centuries AD. Others say he is merely folklore, a legend created to teach children about the code of chivalry and how in this day in age it is becoming extinct. This subject is open for much debate among Arthurian professors and people in general. However, after an examination of the myths and stories that follow King Arthur, it seems that he did indeed exist.
In order to begin to understand the implications of a historical Arthur, the period in which he existed must be examined. If the time period it is said from whence Arthur sprang is not understood, then no complete conclusion can be reached. First, the title "Sub-Roman" must be abandoned because it suggests
that the Britain of the fifth and sixth centuries was merely a result of the decay of the Roman Empire. This ignores all the achievements and progress of this era (Penitential, meaning a book or set of church rules concerning the sacrament of penance and monasticism meaning asceticism as a form of religious life; usually conducted in a community under a common rule and characterized by celibacy and poverty and obedience.) And the continuation of its Roman (Mediterranean trade, Latin education) heritage (Snyder 1).
To continue understanding the time in which King Arthur lived, the place he lived must also be examined, along with Arthur's own history. King Arthur was known historically in Britannia as Riothamus, a name...
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