According to the records kept by the Welsh priest Nennius, Arthur was a brilliant tactician and a rallying figure who drove back the Saxons in the late fifth century (Senior 11). Though the fact is that general Artorius did exist, it remains to be shown whether he ever became an actual king. .
When and where did the term King enter Arthur's title? It cannot be through fictional embellishment, for the romanticized versions told by medieval editors Geoffrey of Manmouth and Thomas Mallory were faithfully based on historical belief at their respective times (Graves xiii). Assuming this royal title to be historically incorrect, the power of General Arthur seems unfittingly influential. For example, the English language and received goods experienced extensive French import which would have required a major exchange on a national level, in turn suggesting the presence of a capable and centralized leader (Lopoz 211). Perhaps the strongest piece of connecting evidence was discovered in 1970, when the Camelot Research Committee excavated Cadbury Castle (Ashe 7). First, this structure was found near the location of Cornwall, the traditional birthplace of King Arthur (Lopoz 313). Though technically the region does not exist anymore, Cornwall was annexed into the region of Wessex, a British province that has endured until today (www.britannia.com/history). In addition to this evidence, the committee discovered that the castle had undergone heavy re-fortifications in the late 5th century: a perfect match for Artonius's life and recorded death (Ashe 7). Cadbury Castle bears yet one more interesting coincidence: the fortification was remarkably costly, as Geoffrey Ashe, a member of the Camelot Research Committee, states: "it would have required a great deal of wealth and very great resources of manpower to accomplish that refortification" (Ashe 7). As all the legends agree, King Arthur's deeds brought a great wealth and prosperity to Britain.