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The noble and virtuous knight Amadis of Gaul has many adventures ahead of him.

Greek-language graffiti carved into the handrail in the Loge of the Empress at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Photo by Sue Burke.
 
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If all goes as planned, we will finish Book III next July. There are four books in the novel – originally three, but when Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo revised the novel in the late 1400s, he changed the ending and created a fourth book. The early version has been lost, but we know what happened from comments about it.

You will learn the original story when the time comes. No spoilers, but it did not end happily.

In the meantime, Amadis challenges and defeats the devil himself in the form of the Endriago. This wins him the support of the Emperor of Constantinople, whom he visits. Since he likes to learn the local language wherever he travels, he learns Ancient Greek, the language of Constantinople, and thus Amadis becomes known as the Greek Knight.

Under that name, he travels back to Great Britain to try to rescue Oriana from the Romans. Book III ends with a thrilling sea battle.

Adventure, love, courage, and events outside the natural order await. Thanks for reading.

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