Emperor Otta
Roman emperor mentioned in Le Morte d'Arthur in connection with the embassy to King Arthur.
Emperor Otta is mentioned in Le Morte d'Arthur in connection with the arrival of Roman ambassadors at King Arthur's court. Twelve ancient men bearing olive branches came as messengers from Emperor Lucius, described as "Dictator or Procuror of the Public Weal of Rome," while Arthur sat in his throne royal (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter I). The passage establishes the political framework for the Roman tribute demand that drives Book V's narrative.
The two citations both refer to the same scene — the embassy of twelve ancient men to Arthur's court — and the name "Emperor Otta" appears to be a variant or associated title within the broader Roman authority structure. The focus of the passage is on Emperor Lucius as the sender of the embassy, with the ambassadors bearing olive branches as tokens of their diplomatic role (Le Morte d'Arthur, Book V, Chapter I). The scene sets up the confrontation between Arthur and Rome over the question of truage — tribute owed to the empire.
Appears in: Beings, Entities in Le Morte d'Arthur, Norse Tradition