King Claudas
Also known as: Claudas · Family: Claudas's forces · Role: king · First appears: Book I, Chapter X
In Book I, Chapter X, King Claudas was at war with King Ban and King Bors over a castle, while Merlin advised King Arthur to seek their military aid against him. By Chapter XI, Gracian and Placidas were strengthening the castles at Benwick against Claudas, while fifteen thousand troops prepared for war “for dread of King Claudas.” In Chapter XVIII, King Arthur, King Ban, and Sir Bors departed to defend their lands, where Claudas had caused great destruction.
By Book IV, Chapter I, Elaine mourned the mortal war Claudas had made against her lord and lands, and Merlin prophesied that Sir Launcelot, whose first name was Galahad, would avenge her on King Claudas within twenty years. In Book V, Emperor Lucius destroyed countries that King Arthur had won from Claudas. By Book XI, King Arthur had made war on Claudas in France and won much of his land. In Book XVII, Chapter XXI, Claudine is identified as King Claudas’ son.
Relationship record
Life events
- Merlin advises Arthur to seek Ban and Bors’s military aid against King Claudas.(Book I, Chapter X)
- With: Merlin King Arthur King Ban King Bors
- “I shall tell you, said Merlin, mine advice; there are two brethren beyond the sea, and they be kings both, and marvellous good men of their hands; and that one hight King Ban of Benwick, and that other hight King Bors of Gaul, that is France.”
- Gracian and Placidas fortified the castles against Claudas while fifteen thousand troops prepared for war.(Book I, Chapter XI · 📍 Benwick)
- Arthur, Ban, and Bors departed to defend their lands against Claudas.(Book I, Chapter XVIII)
- With: King Arthur King Ban Sir Bors
- “So, briefly to make an end, they took their leave to go into their own countries, for King Claudas did great destruction on their lands.”
- Merlin prophesies Launcelot will avenge Elaine and reveals his first name was Galahad.(Book IV, Chapter I · 📍 Benwick)
- With: Merlin Elaine Sir Launcelot
- “this same child within this twenty year shall revenge you on King Claudas”
- Emperor Lucius captures a castle near Cologne and destroys lands King Arthur had conquered from King Claudas.(Book V, Chapter II · 📍 Cologne)
- With: Emperor Lucius King Arthur
- “and came unto Cologne, and besieged a castle thereby, and won it soon, and stuffed it with two hundred Saracens or Infidels, and after destroyed many fair countries which Arthur had won of King Claudas.”
- King Arthur waged war against King Claudas and conquered much of his land.(Book XI, Chapter VI · 📍 France)
- With: King Arthur
- “King Arthur had been in France, and had made war upon the mighty King Claudas, and had won much of his lands.”
Book I, Chapter X
- enemies with King Ban “And on these two kings warreth a mighty man of men, the King Claudas, and striveth with them for a castle, and great war is betwixt them.”
- enemies with King Bors “And on these two kings warreth a mighty man of men, the King Claudas, and striveth with them for a castle, and great war is betwixt them.”
Book I, Chapter XI
- enemies with King Ban “and that was a ring, unto his men and King Bors’; and Gracian and Placidas should go again and keep their castles and their countries, as for [dread of King Claudas] King Ban of Benwick, and King Bors of Gaul had ordained them”
- enemies with Sir Bors “and that was a ring, unto his men and King Bors’; and Gracian and Placidas should go again and keep their castles and their countries, as for [dread of King Claudas] King Ban of Benwick, and King Bors of Gaul had ordained them”
Book I, Chapter XVIII
- enemies with King Ban “they took their leave to go into their own countries, for King Claudas did great destruction on their lands.”
- enemies with Sir Bors “they took their leave to go into their own countries, for King Claudas did great destruction on their lands.”
Book IV, Chapter I
- enemies with Elaine “There the queen made great sorrow for the mortal war that King Claudas made on her lord and on her lands.”
Book V, Chapter II
- with King Arthur (The chapter states that Arthur had conquered lands of Claudas.) “And thus Lucius came with all his host, which were disperplyd sixty mile in breadth, and commanded them to meet with him in Burgoyne, for he purposed to destroy the realm of Little Britain.”
Book XI, Chapter VI
- enemies with King Arthur “King Arthur had been in France, and had made war upon the mighty King Claudas, and had won much of his lands”
Book XVII, Chapter XXI
- child: Claudine “But the three knights of Gaul, one of them hight Claudine, King Claudas’ son, and the other two were great gentlemen.”
Book XX, Chapter XIX
- enemies with King Ban “for the mighty wars that whilom made King Claudas upon this country, upon my father King Ban, and on mine uncle King Bors;”
- enemies with King Bors “for the mighty wars that whilom made King Claudas upon this country, upon my father King Ban, and on mine uncle King Bors;”
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Extracted from the original text of Le Morte d'Arthur. Made with Rho MD.