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East and West in Malory’s Roman War: The implications of Arthur’s travels on the continent

Malory's second tale of his Arthurian cycle, his account of the Roman War, brings East and West violently into contact: the Christian West is defended by the British king and the East supports Lucius, the wicked Roman Emperor. This article examines how this opposition of East and West conjures up two medieval topoi - the translatio imperii and the Nine Worthies - to frame the image of Arthur and to define the nature of his kingship. The translatio imperii suggests that, when Arthur conquers Rome, he inherits and transfers to Britain a cultural legacy, the idea of a universal empire, that had previously traveled from Babylon to Rome. The Nine Worthies present Arthur as a redeemer who launches a crusade that will culminate with Godefroy de Bouillon's coronation in Jerusalem. The Roman War is also articulated with Arthur's entire cycle of adventures as this first, successful raid on the Continent ominously foreshadows both the «Tale of the Sankgreal» and the «Most Piteous Tale».