<P> The historical basis for the King Arthur legend has long been debated by scholars . One school of thought , citing entries in the Historia Brittonum ( History of the Britons ) and Annales Cambriae ( Welsh Annals ) , sees Arthur as a genuine historical figure , a Romano - British leader who fought against the invading Anglo - Saxons some time in the late 5th to early 6th century . The Historia Brittonum , a 9th - century Latin historical compilation attributed in some late manuscripts to a Welsh cleric called Nennius , contains the first datable mention of King Arthur , listing twelve battles that Arthur fought . These culminate in the Battle of Badon , where he is said to have single - handedly killed 960 men . Recent studies , however , question the reliability of the Historia Brittonum . </P>
<P> The historical basis for the King Arthur legend has long been debated by scholars . One school of thought , citing entries in the Historia Brittonum ( History of the Britons ) and Annales Cambriae ( Welsh Annals ) , sees Arthur as a genuine historical figure , a Romano - British leader who fought against the invading Anglo - Saxons some time in the late 5th to early 6th century . The Historia Brittonum , a 9th - century Latin historical compilation attributed in some late manuscripts to a Welsh cleric called Nennius , contains the first datable mention of King Arthur , listing twelve battles that Arthur fought . These culminate in the Battle of Badon , where he is said to have single - handedly killed 960 men . Recent studies , however , question the reliability of the Historia Brittonum . </P>
how old is the story of king arthur
how old is the story of king arthur
late 5th to early 6th century
late 5th to early 6th century