Geoffrey of Monmouth is a twelfth‐century Anglo‐Latin writer, best known for his
Historia regum Britannie
(
History of the Kings of Britain
). The
History
popularized the idea that Britain was founded by Trojan refugees, and offered many memorable accounts of British rulers, some fictional, some quasi‐historical. The
Historia
famously presented the first connected narrative of the life and deeds of King Arthur. Geoffrey also brought attention to Merlin, bringing the prophet of Celtic tradition into the ambit of the Arthurian court in the
Historia
, and focusing on Merlin's madness and recovery in the
Vita Merlini
. The
Historia
was one of the most popular and influential texts of the Middle Ages, frequently copied, translated, and adapted.