Editing Vortigern (section)

===Geoffrey of Monmouth===
[[File:Meeting of Vortigern and Rowena.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|''The First Meeting of Vortigern and Rowena'', painted by [[William Hamilton (painter)|William Hamilton]]]]

The story of Vortigern adopted its best-known form in Geoffrey's pseudohistorical ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]''. Geoffrey names [[Constans II (usurper)|Constans]] the older brother of [[Aurelius Ambrosius]] and [[Uther Pendragon]]. After the death of their father, [[Constantine III (Western Roman Emperor)|Constantinus III]], Vortigern persuades Constans to leave his monastery and claim the throne. Constans proved a weak and unpopular [[puppet monarch]] and Vortigern ruled the country through him until he finally managed Constans' death by insurgent [[Picts]].<ref name=Lupack/>

Geoffrey mentions a similar tale just before that episode, however, which may be an unintentional duplication. Just after the Romans leave, the archbishop of London is put forward by the representatives of Britain to organise the island's defences. To do so, he arranges for continental soldiers to come to Britain. The name of the bishop is Guitelin, a name similar to the Vitalinus mentioned in the ancestry of Vortigern and to the Vitalinus said to have fought with Ambrosius at the [[Battle of Guoloph]]. This Guithelin/Vitalinus disappears from the story as soon as Vortigern arrives. All these coincidences imply that Geoffrey duplicated the story of the invitation of the Saxons,{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}} and that the tale of Guithelinus the archbishop might possibly give some insight into the background of Vortigern before his acquisition of power.

Geoffrey identifies Hengest's daughter as [[Rowena]]. After Vortigern marries her, his sons rebel. Geoffrey adds that Vortigern was succeeded briefly by his son Vortimer, as does the ''Historia Brittonum'', only to assume the throne again when Vortimer is killed.