Why Does It Matter If He Existed?

As I read the chapters from Snyder's book, I found myself asking the same question: why does it matter whether Arthur was real or not? Though Snyder focuses on the circumstances from which references to King Arthur and related topics arose, Snyder does acknowledge readers who may be wondering if Arthur really existed. We also discussed this topic in class. I said to my classmates that he probably didn't really exist but was probably inspired by several real people, but I thought, I don't know? I've never really thought about this. Sure, the stories are interesting, but that doesn't mean I've wondered if they really happened.

The debate over King Arthur's existence has been and continues to be prominent. Why do so many people care whether Arthur in particular really did exist? What is it about Arthur that makes his existence matter?