[Arthurian] According to Gildas, the location of Arthur's climactic battle with the Saxons. This victory at the "siege of Mount Badon" was followed by a period of relative peace. Though Gildas can be interpreted in several ways, the date is generally taken to have been near 500 and archaeology is in general agreement. The Saxon advance was halted for several decades. Southern England is almost certainly the location of Badon and the "mount" may be in reference to an Iron Age hill-fort. There are many candidates for the site: Hills near Bath (favored by Geoffrey), Badbury rings in Dorset and Liddington Castle in Wiltshire and the close by town of Badbury. The Liddington site is the most promising with its earthen defenses known to have been strengthened about the right time. While the battle is real, Arthur's connection with it is problematic. The Briton leader is not named by Gildas. Arthur is attributed this role first in the Historia Brittonum (9th century) and later in the Annales Cambriae ...
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