The legends of King Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table have a basis in fact, but with a surprising twist. King Arthur was a Roman. The Roman, and romanized Celt, population in Britain did not roll over and play dead when the legions left in the early years of the 5th century. For over a century, the Romanized population of Britain fought on against barbarian invaders. One of the more successful of these was a Roman, Lucius Artorius Castor, who's name has come down to us as King Arthur. Lucius was descended from a prosperous Roman family that had lived in Britain since AD 180. Born in the 470s, by 510 Lucius had managed to put together an army, and a string of victories, that gave him control over most of Britain. But a civil war with his designated heir, Medrautus Lancaerius, saw both men dead in their final battle at Camlann. From these historical events came the evil Mordred (Medrautus), Lancelot (Medrautus again), Camelot (Camlann) and Guinevere (second wife of Lucius, who ran away with Medrautus, thus contributing to the civil conflict). Lucius spoke Latin and considered himself a son of Rome. But it was Germanic (English) scholars who got custody of the story and the Roman Lucius was turned into a Germanic Arthur. By the 14th century the epic of Arthur and the Round Table was widely known throughout Europe, and considered more or less an historically accurate account.