Geoffrey of Monmouth’s Byzantine Reception

Abstract

Whither has winged fame not conveyed and published the name of Arthur the Briton even as far as Christian rule extends? Who, I say, does not speak of Arthur the Briton, when he is considered almost more famous among the peoples of Asia than among the Britons, as our pilgrims returning from the East tell us? The eastern peoples speak of him, the Western peoples speak of him, with the whole world stretching between them. Egypt speaks of him; nor is the sheltered Bosporus silent. Rome, the queen of cities, sings of his deeds; nor are Arthur’s battles unknown to her former rival Carthage. Antioch, Armenia, and Palestine praise his exploits.2