ABSTRACT
Rome in the middle ages was a complex signifier. According to twelfth-century Cestrian author Lucian, medieval Rome was more than just a city, it was Urbs, the quintessential city against which all other urban settlements could be measured. As a symbol, Rome could signify imperial might, a cultural heritage of the military strength and secular administration, as well as Roman Catholicism and the authority of the pope. Roman characters, including those found in English cycle drama, reveal local conceptions of Rome as signifier which in turn reflect and shape aspects of local identity. In the Chester cycle, Rome serves as a double for Chester, wherein the actions of Roman characters reflect and promote a positive image of secular authority. Particularly in the years following the initial break with Rome and after Queen Mary's attempt to reassert Catholicism, Rome represented the Catholic threat to English protestantism.
