Who Was the Real King Arthur?
The Ancients
History Hit
4.7 • 3.5K Ratings
🗓️ 2 January 2025
⏱️ 54 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Was King Arthur a real historical figure or merely a mythical hero?
Tristan Hughes and Dr. Miles Russell delve into the myth and mystery of King Arthur, exploring the historical figures who may have inspired this legendary character, including Magnus Maximus, Emperor Constantine and Julius Caesar's great rival Cassivellaunus. They reveal the fascinating connections and rich oral traditions that shaped Arthurian legend and ravel the myths, surrounding one of Britain's most legendary figures.
Presented by Tristan Hughes. Audio editor is Aidan Lonergan, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, I'm Tristan Hughes, and if you would like the ancient ad-free, get early access and bonus episodes, sign up to History Hit. |
| 0:08.1 | With a History Hit subscription, you can also watch hundreds of hours of original documentaries, including my recent documentary all about Petra and the Nabatians, and enjoy a new release every week. |
| 0:19.3 | Sign up now by visiting historyhit.com slash subscribe. It's The Ancients on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes, your host. |
| 0:39.2 | And happy new year. |
| 0:40.6 | 2025 is here and for the Ancients, |
| 0:43.2 | where we have some huge treats for you over the next few weeks |
| 0:46.1 | as we kick off January in style. |
| 0:48.6 | Watch this space. |
| 0:50.3 | Now, it is still the holiday season |
| 0:52.1 | and the Ancients team are just wrapping up their Christmas break. |
| 0:55.4 | So today we're bringing back to the fore another of my favourite episodes from the back catalogue |
| 1:00.3 | and I had a lot of fun choosing this particular episode because it's all about King Arthur |
| 1:05.4 | and the real life ancient figures who inspired this legendary King of the Britons. |
| 1:12.1 | Because there was more than one, |
| 1:17.4 | as the brilliance Dr. Miles Russell from Bournemouth University explained to me in this interview that I did with him back in early 2021, almost four years ago. Miles has been a regular on the |
| 1:25.0 | ancients and on the history hit YouTube channel since then. |
| 1:28.1 | We've filmed with him about the great Iron Age British Hill Fort Maiden Castle |
| 1:31.6 | and about the mysterious Roman 9th Legion, Legio 9 Hispana. |
| 1:36.2 | He is a lovely man and a brilliant speaker talking Romans, Iron Age Britons and King Arthur. |
| 1:41.7 | You name it, he knows it. What's not to love. Enjoy. |
| 1:51.3 | The question of who was the real King Arthur, it's kind of like what happened to the |
| 1:55.1 | Ninth Legion. It's one of those great mystery questions of history. It is. I mean, Arthur is such |
... |
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