Geoffrey of Monmouth: The Rest of the Story

Part One: Brutus Occupies the Island of Albion [Britain]

Don’t confuse this Brutus with Julius Caesar’s assassin. This Brutus is from a much earlier time—the Trojan War. Recall that Aeneas left the flaming city of Troy, wandered around the Mediterranean, and finally founded the great city of Rome. Brutus was (supposedly) the grandson of Aeneas. As a young man, Brutus accidentally shot his father (Ascanius, Aeneas’ son) with an arrow. For this he was banished from Italy. As he wandered around the Mediterranean, he stumbled upon a colony of some other Trojan refugees who had been enslaved by the Greeks. Brutus led them to victory over their captors and then traveled with them northward to found a new civilization in Britain (Get it? “Brutus” à “Britain”).

Part Two: Before the Romans Came

Brutus’ battles and reign in Britain are described, and then the history of his descendents. One of these is King Leir, or Lear as Shakespeare spelled it in his famous tragedy. The story of the three daughters is told, except that in Monmouth it turns out more happily since Cordelia lives and rules Britain for a number of years. Another long story is that of the brothers Belinus and Brennius and their warring against one another in their bids for supremacy. After many years of fighting, their mother manages to turn their hatred into brotherly love again by entreating them to forgive one another. From that point on, Belinus and Brennius join forces and attack the Gauls and eventually the Romans.

Part Three: The Coming of the Romans

Monmouth tells the story of Julius Caesar’s invasions of Britain. In Monmouth’s account, Caesar recognizes his kinship with the Britons, since both Rome and Britain descended from Troy, but he notes that the British line has degenerated and will easily be forced to pay tribute to the Republic. After Caesar, Claudius invades the island. Monmouth also tells another story used by Shakespeare, that of Cymbelline. Several generations of emperors and their conflict with the island are detailed. The most interesting, for our purposes, is the story of Maximianus, a Roman senator whose father was a Briton. In a bid for seizing the throne from Emperor Gracinus, Maximianus marries the daughter of the British king Octavius and becomes King of Britain. With Britain’s wealth and war hordes backing him, Maximianus attacks Brittany, then Gaul, and goes on to Rome, where he is stopped and killed.

Part Four: The House of Constantine

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Part Five: The Prophecies of Merlin

It is unclear why Geoffrey inserted this rather bizarre litany of prophecies into the middle of “The House of Constantine.” Read the first two pages to get the feel of it.

Part Six: The House of Constantine, cont.

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Part Seven: Arthur of Britain

Read pp. 212-218; 237-261.

In the intervening pages, Cador, Duke of Cornwall, fights the Saxons while Arthur divides his attentions between the Picts, Scots, and Irish. He restores the ravaged churches at York and returns hereditary rights to three young princes there who have been put down by the Saxons. One of these is Loth, who Geoffrey informs us had earlier married the sister of Aurelius Ambrosius and had two sons by her: Gawain and Mordred. Geoffrey also briefly mentions another important fact, that Arthur marries Guinevere, a descendent of a noble Roman family brought up in the household of Cador. Monmouth describes her as the “most beautiful woman in the entire island.” Meanwhile Arthur attracts a retinue of renowned men, and his “generosity and bravery spread[s] to the very ends of the earth.” Then Arthur crosses into Gaul and fights the tribune Frollo there in single combat. With his sword, Caliburn (cf. “Excalibur”), Arthur slices Frollo’s head in two. With the aid of his nephew Hoel, Arthur works for nine years to subdue the lands of Gaul. When he accomplishes this, he divides up the region, giving power to noblemen who had served him, one being his cup-bearer, Bedevere. Throughout this time Arthur’s reputation for generosity spreads and makes all men love him. A plenary court is held, Arthur is crowned, feasting and games add to the festivities. But in the middle of the gaiety, a harsh letter arrives from Lucius, Procurator of Rome, condemning Arthur for not paying tribute and threatening war. Arthur’s liegemen advise him to fight for his independence from the Republic.

Part Eight: The Saxon Domination

Mordred’s son and the Saxons rise up against Constantine, Arthur’s successor. The fight goes on for several generations of Mordred’s descendants, incurring an unusually acerbic denunciation from Geoffrey of the British people’s constant infighting: “You foolish people . . . never happy but when you are fighting one another . . . Keep on with your civil squabbling and forget what the Gospel says: ‘Every kingdom divided against itself shall be brought to desolation, and a house divided against itself shall fall’” (264). He goes on to describe the flight of the Britons to Wales, Cornwall, and Armorican Brittany, losing their right to rule their own land. Gregory then describes the coming of Augustine, sent by Pope Gregory, to convert the Saxons to Christianity. Fighting breaks out again between Britons and Saxons, and among the Britons themselves. Geoffrey insists that the British are fated not to rule their own homeland until the coming of some mysterious moment which Merlin prophesied to Arthur.