Sir Thomas Malory (c.1405 – March 14, 1471) was the author or compiler of Le Morte d'Arthur, the first definitive text in English prose relating the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Le Morte d'Arthur was wildly popular in the decades following its publication, and Malory is generally seen as the primary source for Arthurian legends in the English language. Malory's position in the history of Arthurian literature is a unique one; he did not invent many of the tales that he retells in his masterwork, rather, he borrowed extensively from previous writers who had told versions of the legend, and in particular Malory relied heavily on the French Arthurian poets of the thirteenth century, such as Chrétien de Troyes, and the anonymous author of the Lancelot cycle. Malory, however, did not simply translate the works of previous authors; he re-arranged the structure of the various Arthurian romances, creating a cohesive storyline with a definitive beginning, middle, and end. Moreover, he embellished, revised, and added to the legend as he saw fit, creating a uniquely English version of the tale that remains popular to this day. The Arthurian legend is one of the great works of narrative that reflects on universal themes through the use of symbols, themes reminiscent of the most stirring elements from the Bible, and themes that capture the imagination.