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RAFAŁBORYSŁAWSKI
Latin.IntheprefaceGregoryisnotonlydryhtnescempa/Romepapa
(4-5),utheLord)s/champion,thepopeinRome”butheisalso
ŹRom-warabetest,
monnamod-welegost,mærðumgefrægost.[9-10]
[thebestofRomans,mostwealthyinmindamong
men,mostrenownedforhisgloriousdeedsŹ]13
Tepreface,however,admiresnotonlyGregoryhimself,but,indirectly,
alsotheRomansofwhomhewasthebestand,evenmoreindirectly,
theformergreatnessofthecity,whichAlfredmighthaverecognised
asanechoofhisownchildishmemoriesandsenseofwonder.Tus,if
Alfred)sbynameoftheGreat,attributedtohimalreadybyMatthewParis
sometimearoundmid-thirteenthcentury,
14
becamepermanentlysealed
withhisnamebecausehewasavisionaryking,thentheoriginsofhis
culturalandpoliticalvisionatleasttosomeextentlieinhowAlfredsaw,
understood,andrecreatedRomeforhimself.
Alfred)simaginedboyishurbanamazementcanbethententatively
envisagedasbeingpartlybehindthedrivingforceswhichdefinedhis
rule.Ofcourse,theRomanitaswasneverfarawayfromtheSaxonroyal
familyorindeedanyoneinhabitingpost-RomanBritain.Aferall,evenif,
asAlfredphrasesitinhisproseprefacetoTePastoralCare,theknow-
ledgeofLatindeclinedsouthoftheriverHumber,15peopletravelledon
Romanroads,crossedriversusingRomanbridges,werefamiliarwith
andpartiallyusedwhateverremainedofRomanstructures,whileNorth
-
umbrian,Mercian,andSaxonkings,alongwithotherChristianrulers
ofthetimes,presentedthemselvesontheircoinsmuchlikeRoman
emperors:inbeardlessanddiademedprofiles.Nonetheless,theimpact
thatRomemadeasoneenteredthecityfromthenorth,perhapsalong
theoldnortherntriumphalroad,theViaCassia,mergingintotheVia
13SusanIrvineandMalcolmR.Godden,eds.andtrans.,TeOldEnglish
BoethiuswithVerseProloguesandEpiloguesAssociatedwithKingAlfred(Cambridge,
MA;London:HarvardUniversityPress,2012),408-409.
14Keynes,uTeCultofKingAlfred,”231-32.
15HenrySweet,ed.,KingAlfred’sWestSaxonVersionofGregory’sPastoralCare
(London:EarlyEnglishTextSociety,1871),3.
