Arthur, the dragon king: The barbaric roots of Britain's greatest legend

Howard Reid has produced a very readable introduction to the idea that the King Arthur legend began with a Roman Cavalry Commander in ancient Britain. Historically, the Imperial Roman Army had recruited much of its cavalry from subject peoples more familiar with horses than the Romans themselves. There were many "horse" cultures in ancient Europe and the Near East, apart from the Celts themselves. Reid introduces the Samartians, successors to the earlier Scythian horsemen who had so troubled the expansionary Roman Republic as it spread towards the Black Sea. Certainly there is much conjecture in Reid's book. However, he has the historical starting point of 175 AD when Rome posted to the Hadrian's Wall forts (that separated Roman Britain from the wild Scots tribes to the North) one of its cavalry units, comprising some 5,500 Samartian horsemen. He suggests that some of these horsemen would have settled in Britain after their period of service. From this beginning he posits a border community that would have held on to its traditions of horseback fighting. Thus, he suggests, there may have been a local war leader (dux bellorum) who used Roman cavalry tactics to fight the invading Anglo-Saxons of fifth century Britain. This "Samartian Supposition" forms the basis of the 2004 film "King Arthur". The screenwriter, David Franzoni, has his hero Arthur (played by Clive Owen) as a Samartian commander of a Roman cavalry unit on Hadrian's Wall. Arthur confronts the indigenous "Woad" (British war paint) people, North of the Wall, led by Guinevere (played by Keira Knightley). These two then make an uneasy alliance to oppose the invading Saxons. So, for once, Hollywood appears to have made a film based on some very intriguing historical supposition. Whether or not you see the film, Reid's book is an engaging effort with enough scholarship to assist its credibility but without being off-putting to those looking for a good "general" read about a possible "historical" Arthur. Thoroughly recommended, especially to those looking for something other than the 21st century Fantasy retellings of the magical King Arthur so often retold in Romantic Fiction.

This is an intreaging book that questions the roots of one of the greatest legends in Western culture. This is an intriguing book that questions the roots of one of the greatest legends in Western culture. The book is essentially discussing a theory that legends and heroes that lived in central Asia spread out to affect other histories and cultures. If there is more solid evidence that surfaces over the following years then it may mean that our image and the history of everything from Christianity to the first contacts with the East will drastically change. The book's main drawback as a historical resource is that it is predominantly theory and plausible evidence, but nothing proven, at least for now. I hope that the author, Howard Reid, is able to complete his follow up book looking at links with the legends in Asia, all the way to Japan. Experimental research and theory in history is always needed and attracts new blood and ideas into the field. As every avid reader of history knows, history is ever changing - new perspectives, evidence, and fallacies are constantly being uncovered. We should learn what is factual in order to question it, and ultimately strive to find the truth.Enjoy a good read on a possible past!