Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth m$on'-m ŭ th (1100?–1154), an English writer and historian. His Latin chronicle Historia Regum Brittaniae (“History of the Kings of Britain”) circulated as early as 1139. In this work, a mixture of fact and legend, Geoffrey traced the descent of the English kings from the Trojans. The book was a source for a number of English literary works. It contains an early account of King Arthur and presents the story of King Lear.
Geoffrey was born in Monmouth, Wales. He became a Benedictine monk, and was bishop of St. Asaph (1152–54).