King Arthur was a legendary British leader who led the British army against the Anglo-Saxons who invaded in the late-fifth and early-sixth centuries. Although most people believe that King Arthur and the Arthurian legends were just that—legends—based largely on myths and folklore, some people believe that Arthur was based loosely on a Roman or Welsh military leader who fought the Saxon invaders in the fifth or sixth century.

Many of the stories about Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table were popular in Wales even before the eleventh century, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, which notes that the stories celebrated

a glorious and triumphant king who defeated a Roman army in eastern France but was mortally wounded in battle during a rebellion at home led by his nephew Mordred.

The reason that the Arthurian legends survived the Anglo-Saxon invasions and continue to be told to this day is because the stories are larger than life and have something for everyone. In other words, they are extremely entertaining. For action lovers, they have heroism, danger, bravery, battle, military strategy and the gallant and skilled Knights of the Round Table.

For romance lovers, they have budding young love when Arthur first meets and marries Guinevere. They have deceit and duplicity and betrayal when the beautiful Guinevere and the handsome and valiant Lancelot fall in love. They also have redemption when the two sacrifice their love and agree to part because of their guilt over what they have done to Arthur, whom they both loved.