The History of the Kings of Britain

Originally composed in Latin, The History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth claims to be a history of Britain’s kings from the island’s founding by Trojan descendent Brutus in 1200 BCE, to the Britons’ abandonment of the island in the seventh century CE. The text first appeared in the 1130s and was immediately popular, inspiring retellings and adaptations by writers and artists through the centuries. Because its historical merit is almost nonexistent, it has been called an epic in prose and treated as a literary text whose primary purpose is patriotic. It is credited with introducing the figure of Merlin and elevating King Arthur to mythic status.

This guide refers to the Penguin Classics edition translated by Lewis Thorpe. Noting that medieval divisions of the text were arbitrary, Thorpe divides the work into nine sections, including a dedication and eight parts titled by topic. The book begins with a dedication in which Geoffrey observes the conventions of the time by praising his patrons and expressing hope that his meager skills will be up to the task set before him.