Caerleon-on-Usk was
Arthur's court. Pure and simple. That according to
Geoffrey
of Monmouth. Look
at a map of Wales and find Monmouth. Then find Caerleon.
It's right down the road. Too easy? Perhaps. But the
temptation to say that Geoffrey placed Arthur close to his
own home is great, especially since subsequent excavations
have unearthed nothing suggesting use of the kind Geoffrey
described at any time after the Roman withdrawal.
Indeed, the Roman
settlement was Isca Silurum, a legionary fortress. Ruined
walls still show the layout of its buildings, and an
amphitheatre can be found nearby. The Caerleon of the 12th
century, when Geoffrey was writing, featured remains of
baths, vaults, and even central-heating systems. It was a
population center and an important town. It would have been
easy to believe that such a place, close to Carmarthen
and Lincoln, home of Merlin
and one of Arthur's 12 great battles respectively, could be
home to a warrior-king. But Geoffrey didn't stop there. His
Caerleon included two famous churches and college with 200
scholars. And Arthur, after conquering Gaul, has a
tremendous Whitsun ceremony. Knights engage in archery and
javelin contests and throw dice.
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