Lucius Tiberius
Roman emperor killed by Arthur in Arthurian legend.
Lucius Tiberius, also known as Lucius Hiberius, Lucius, or Thereus in *Claris et Laris*, is a figure from Arthurian legend who appears as a Western Roman procurator or emperor. He is killed in a conflict with King Arthur. The character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s pseudo-historical *Historia Regum Britanniae* and later appears in English works such as the *Alliterative Morte Arthure* and Thomas Malory’s *Le Morte d’Arthur*. The idea of a Roman emperor defeated by Arthur also appears in Old French literature, especially the Vulgate Cycle.
In the usual story, after Arthur frees Gaul from the Roman tribune Frollo—a Romanized German who had exploited Arthur’s war with Claudas—news of Arthur’s victories reaches Rome. Lucius demands that Arthur pay tribute and acknowledge him as his overlord, as Britain had done since Julius Caesar’s time. Arthur refuses, citing the earlier British kings Belinus and Brennius, who had defeated Rome. In response, Lucius gathers pagan armies from Spain and North Africa and invades the lands of Arthur’s allies in Brittany. Rome is presented as the seat of Christianity, but it is portrayed as more foreign and corrupt than Arthur’s court. In the poem *Didot Perceval*, Lucius is married to the daughter of a pagan ally, a Middle Eastern ruler called the Emir (Amiraut).
Arthur and his allied kings cross the English Channel to face the Roman threat. In the *Historia*, the war begins when Lucius’ nephew (or uncle, in the *Alliterative Morte Arthure*), Gaius Quintilianus, is killed by Gawain after insulting the Britons. Lucius then dies at the hands of Arthur himself in battle as Rome and its Germanic allies are defeated. In Malory’s version, following the *Alliterative Morte Arthure*, Lucius is killed in a personal duel with Arthur, who wounds him and then decapitates him with Excalibur. Arthur sends the bodies of Lucius and other nobles back to Rome, saying this is the only tribute he will send. In the French Vulgate *La Mort le Roi Artu*, Lucius is portrayed more sympathetically but is still killed with Excalibur, this time by Gawain.
The figure of Lucius is clearly fictional, though it is unknown whether Geoffrey took him from tradition or invented him for propaganda, as with much of his *Historia*. Many of his allies seem based on figures from Geoffrey’s own time.
- Field
- Arthurian legend
- Nationality
- Western Roman
- Known for
- Killed in war against King Arthur
- Title
- Procurator or emperor
Lore & Background
In the common narrative, after Arthur liberates Gaul from the Roman tribune Frollo, a Romanized German who tried to take advantage of Arthur's war with Claudas, word of his great deeds reaches Rome itself. Lucius demands that Arthur pay him tribute and recognize him as his sovereign, as had been done by Britain since the time of Julius Caesar. Arthur refuses on the basis that the British kings Belinus and Brennius had defeated Rome in the past. In retaliation, Lucius gathers heathen armies from Spain and North Africa and invades the lands of Arthur's allies on the continent in Brittany. Rome is supposed to be the seat of Christianity, but it is more foreign and corrupt than the courts of Arthur and his allies. He is also mentioned as married to daughter of one of his pagan allies, a Middle Eastern ruler named only just as the Emir (Amiraut), in the poem Didot Perceval.
Arthur and the other kings all
Reader's Guide
The figure of Lucius is clearly fictional, though whether Geoffrey took the character from tradition or completely created him for propagandist purposes is unknown, as is the case with much material in his Historia. Many of the figures associated with him, such as the kings who side with him, appear to be based on figures from Geoffrey's own era. Geoffrey Ashe theorizes that he was originally Glycerius, whose name was known to have been misspelled as 'Lucerius' in texts prior to the writing of the Historia, and was further misspelled by Geoffrey of Monmouth as 'Lucius Tiberius/Hiberius'. Another theory, proposed by Roger Sherman Loomis, suggests that Lucius is a reflex of the god Lugh, under the name 'Llwch Hibernus', which could change into 'Lucius Hiber(i)us'. Though there are passages in Geoffrey's work that give him the title of Emperor, his Lucius seems to be placed under one Emperor Leo. In most post-Geoffrey versions, however, Lucius himself holds the position of Emperor and Leo is omitted. It is also possible that Geoffrey actually meant the historical Emperor Leo, a late 5th-century leader of the Eastern Roman Empire, as just an ally of the Western Romans. Lucius is referred to as both 'Tiberius' and 'Hiberius' in Geoffrey of Monmouth. Hiberius is a Latin name meaning 'Spanish', and Lucius is explicitly called Spanish in one of the earliest adaptations from Geoffrey, Wace's Roman de Brut. It is also from Wace onwards that Leo is excised from the text and only Lucius himself is referred to as Emperor, and in the Alliterative Morte Arthure a character named Leo appears as merely a subordinate of Lucius.
Did You Know?
- Lucius is also called Thereus in the poem Claris et Laris.
- Geoffrey Ashe theorizes Lucius was originally Glycerius, misspelled as 'Lucerius' then 'Lucius Tiberius/Hiberius'.
More in Fictional emperors and empresses 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced