Porrex I

Porrex I (reigned approximately 6th century BC, according to Geoffrey of Monmouth) was a legendary king of Britain, appearing in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. He was the son of King Gorboduc and Queen Judon, and the brother of Ferrex.

According to Geoffrey's account, Porrex I and Ferrex engaged in a bitter civil war, fueled by their ambition to rule the entire kingdom after their father aged. Ferrex, the elder brother, mustered an army from Britain and sought support from the king of Gaul. Porrex I, driven by his own ambition and perhaps perceiving a threat from his brother's foreign alliance, also gathered forces to defend his perceived inheritance.

The conflict culminated in a battle in which Ferrex was killed by Porrex I. However, Porrex I's triumph was short-lived. His actions provoked outrage among the Britons, who viewed fratricide as an abhorrent crime. He was subsequently murdered by his own mother, Judon, in revenge for Ferrex's death. The death of both Porrex I and Ferrex plunged Britain into a period of civil war, as detailed by Geoffrey of Monmouth, which ultimately led to the rise of five kings.

It is important to note that Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae is a pseudohistorical work, and there is no independent evidence to corroborate the existence of Porrex I or the events described in his reign. The figures and events are considered legendary rather than historical.