KingArthurisalegendaryBritishleaderofthelate5thandearly6thcenturies,who,ledthedefenceofBritainagainstSaxoninvadersintheearly6thcentury.ThedetailsofArthur'sstoryaremainlycomposedoffolkloreandliteraryinvention,andhishistoricalexistenceisdebatedanddisputedbymodernhistorians.
Althoughthethemes,eventsandcharactersoftheArthurianlegendvariedwidelyfromtexttotext,andthereisnooneauthorizedversion,oneversionofeventsoftenservedasthestartingpointforlaterstories.ItisdepictedArthurasakingofBritainwhodefeatedtheSaxonsandestablishedanempireoverBritain,Ireland,Iceland,NorwayandGaul.ManyelementsandincidentsthatarenowanintegralpartoftheArthurianstoryappearinhistorybooks,includingArthur'sfatherUtherPendragon,thewizardMerlin,Arthur'swifeGuinevere,theswordExcalibur,Arthur'sconceptionatTintagel,hisfinalbattleagainstMordredatCamlannandfinalrestinAvalon.The12th-centuryFrenchwriterChrétiendeTroyes,whoaddedLancelotandtheHolyGrailtothestory,beganthegenreofArthurianromancethatbecameasignificantstrandofmedievalliterature.IntheseFrenchstories,thenarrativefocusoftenshiftsfromKingArthurhimselftoothercharacters,suchasvariousKnightsoftheRoundTable.ArthurianliteraturethrivedduringtheMiddleAgesbutwanedinthecenturiesthatfolloweduntilitexperiencedamajorresurgenceinthe19thcentury.Inthe21stcentury,thelegendliveson,notonlyinliteraturebutalsoinadaptationsfortheatre,film,television,comicsandothermedia.