King Arthur (2004) Historical (In)Accuracy

The 2004 movie King Arthur is filled with historical accuracies and inaccuracies. The opening battle scene of the Woads attacking the Roman convoy escorting the Bishop does not seem like it would be accurate. Firstly, why would the Romans allow a bishop to ride out in front leaving him in danger? Secondly, why would the Romans allow Arthur to let the last Woad flee? Why not take him as a prisoner? I found Arthur’s treatment of authority figures to be historically inaccurate. Arthur is still a soldier/knight and must follow orders whether he likes them or not. He talks back to those in higher positions than himself, which was not very characteristic of people of the period. The time was one of respectfulness. Arthur standing up for his men does seem to be accurate. Arthur is said to have believed that all his soldiers were equal to himself, so it seems right that he would do everything he could to keep them safe and help ensure their freedom. These accuracies and inaccuracies however have not too greatly impacted my overall view of this movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it.