mmh reading the old french, he must have been someone's slave or a king/emperor's counsel
Don't read the text, it will only confuse you.
Notice the books and use that.
Also, I have to correct myself. He wasn't born in Rome, nor were his parents Romans, but he did get a Roman citizenship later in his life, so that makes him Roman.
Here is a good hint that should make it much easier: Parallels