Emperor Alis
The younger son of Emperor Alexander and Tantalis, who became Emperor of Greece and Constantinople after his brother was mistakenly believed dead.
Introduction#
Alis was the younger son of Emperor Alexander and Tantalis, the younger brother of Alexander of Greece, and the uncle of Cligés. In Chrétien de Troyes’ Cligés, he became Emperor of Greece and Constantinople after false reports claimed that his elder brother had perished abroad.
Title | Prince of Greece; Co-ruler of Constantinople
The Imperial Succession#
Following the death of Emperor Alexander, a messenger was dispatched to Britain to summon the rightful heir, Alexander of Greece. The messenger’s ship was lost, and the sole survivor falsely reported that Alexander had died.
Believing his eldest son lost, the imperial nobles crowned Alis emperor.
When Alexander eventually returned to Constantinople, Alis accepted his brother’s claim. On the advice of his counsellors, the brothers reached a peaceful settlement: Alis would retain the imperial title, while Alexander exercised the powers of government. To preserve Alexander’s line of succession, Alis promised never to marry.
Breaking the Promise#
After Alexander’s death, Alis came under increasing pressure from his nobles to secure the succession by taking a wife. Yielding to their advice, he abandoned his earlier promise and agreed to marry Fenice, daughter of the Emperor of Germany.
Unbeknownst to Alis, Fenice had fallen in love with Cligés, and with the aid of her nurse Thessala, she prevented the marriage from ever being consummated.
Conflict with Cligés#
When Cligés later returned from Arthur’s court, Alis welcomed his nephew warmly and entrusted him with much of the government. The emperor remained unaware that Cligés and Fenice had become lovers.
Believing escape to be their only hope, the pair secretly disappeared with the help of John, who constructed a hidden tower where they lived in seclusion while the court believed Fenice had died.
After their refuge was discovered, Cligés sought assistance from King Arthur in preparing to reclaim his inheritance by force. Before war could begin, however, Alis fell into madness and died.
Literary Significance#
Unlike many rival rulers in Arthurian romance, Alis is not portrayed as cruel or tyrannical. His tragedy lies in his inability to uphold the promise that secured peace between himself and his brother. By placing duty, personal desire, and political necessity in conflict, Chrétien presents Alis as a sympathetic but flawed ruler whose choices ultimately bring about the crisis of the romance.
Sources#
Cligés | Chrétien de Troyes, late 12th century
