ons, written in the twelfth century, contains the first appearance of many mythical figures, King Lear and King Arthur among them. It rapidly became a bestseller' across the British Isles and Europe: over 200 manuscripts survive. Here, an authoritative version of the text is presented with a facing translation, prepared especially for the volume. It also contains a full introduction and notes. MICHAEL REEVE is Kennedy Professor of Latin Emeritus at the Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge; Dr NEIL WRIGHT is a Senior Language Teaching Officer at the Faculty of History, University of Cambridge.