Study Guide for Geoffrey of Monmouth's History of the Kings Of

Introduction to British History – Quiz 1 Study Guide

Know the following terms from Class discussions and readings in Campbell Briton York Caerleon Celt St. Albans Hadrian’s Wall hill fort Fosse Way Antonine Wall Boudicca Tacitus Saxon Shore Colchester Agricola

Introduction by Lewis Thorpe  Under what political conditions did Geoffrey of Monmouth write this book?  Why did Geoffrey of Monmouth attribute Trojan ancestry to the Britons?  How does the work denigrate the achievements of the Romans?  Be prepared to identify three sources used by Geoffrey. See also Geoffrey’s intro.  What did the word histoire mean to Geoffrey and his contemporaries? How does this term help us understand the story and how he approached the material?  What was William of Newburgh’s reaction to Geoffrey’s work? How does it relate the previous question?  Explain the synchronistic dating used by Geoffrey (see pages 285-288), and why it might have been attractive to him as he wrote this book.  How does this work resemble the Aeneid and the Old Testament (aka the Hebrew Bible)?

From Geoffrey’s History  What were the five races of people who inhabited Britain in Geoffrey’s day?  What events in the story suggest that the Trojans were a virtuous and noble people?  Be familiar with the achievements of the following British rulers in order to contradict the notion that the Romans brought peace and civilization to the Britons: o Brutus o Dunvallo o Belinus o Bladud o Lud  Summarize Geoffrey’s account of the Caesar’s invasions in terms of motives, number of invasions, and ultimate reasons for his success.  Why do you suppose Geoffrey was silent about Boudicca?  Which king brought Christianity to Britain according to Geoffrey? What was his likely source?  How does Geoffrey refer to London and how does the city feature in Geoffrey’s account of history?  What was the Giants’ Ring, where did it come from, and what was its purpose in Britain?  What are Merlin’s achievements prior to his association with Arthur?  Summarize the achievements of Aurelius Ambrosius.  How does Geoffrey characterize Vortigern and the Picts?  What is Armorica and what is its relationship to Britain?  What factors weakened the defenses of Britain prior to the arrival of the Saxons?  What areas outside of Britain did Arthur allegedly bring under his rule?  What impact does Arthur have on the Saxon settlement of Britain?  Compare the conditions surrounding the conceptions (leading to birth) of Arthur and Brutus.  Be prepared to describe Geoffrey’s treatment of the following staples of the Arthurian legend. o Arthur’s sword, Excalibur o Arthur’s Queen, Guinevere o Arthur’s friend, Lancelot o Arthur’s religion & martial abilities o Arthur’s gathering place, the Round Table o Arthur’s relationship with Rome  What influence do pagan gods have in the story and how does Geoffrey treat them?  What was Vortigern’s tower and how might one explain its symbolic significance to the story?  How does magic influence the emergence of Arthur?  How does the story end?