Amoryus and Cleopes

Did You Know?

• John Metham was very probably one of the sons of Sir Thomas Metham, who had held the position of High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1442 and 1459.
• Metham's patrons were Sir Miles Stapleton and his wife, Katherine de la Pole.
• The poem was first edited by Hardin Craig in 1916.

Synopsis

After Emperor Nero conquered Persia and Media, he placed two Roman magistrates, Palamedon and Dydas, in charge of those lands. Their children were Amoryus and Cleopes. Omens and prophecies hinted that the Roman gods would soon fall. When Amoryus and Cleopes met, they fell in love. To prove himself, Amoryus fought and beat an ill-mannered knight, then with Cleopes’s aid killed a dragon. Their parents forbade the match, so the couple arranged secret meetings beyond the city walls. Cleopes got there first, but a lion startled her. She hid and dropped her scarf. The lion wiped its bloody mouth on the scarf and left. Amoryus arrived, saw the bloodied scarf, and thought Cleopes had been eaten. He killed himself. Cleopes then discovered his body and also took her own life. A holy hermit brought them both back to life. The hermit, Amoryus, and Cleopes went into the city, persuaded everyone to become Christians, and the lovers were married in a Christian ceremony.