Though
being the son of Marcus Aurelius, Commodus (161-192) had no inclination for
philosophy and self-reflection. This in itself is not a problem: many people
can live quite happily or even more happily without these predilections, but it
becomes problematic when this lack is substituted with madness and you happen
to be a Roman emperor. The behaviour of
Commodus was completely erratic and unpredictable and combined with sadism. No
wonder he was eventually assassinated. In
the movie Gladiator his character is
well exploited, though the movie doesn’t quite do justice
to historical events.
In the
extremely unreliable, but delightfully gossiping and anecdotal Historia Augusta some examples of his sick
jokes and other behaviour are given. May be something for a Fellini like
director?
Historia Augusta, Commodus Antoninus, c. 10:
X. 1 Iam puer et gulosus et impudicus fuit. Adulescens omne genus hominum
infamavit, quod erat secum, et ab omnibus est infamatus. 2 Inridentes se feris
obiciebat. Eum etiam, qui Tranquilli librum vitam Caligulae continentem
legerat, feris obici iussit, quia eundem diem natalis habuerat, quem et
Caligula. 3 Si quis sane se mori velle praedixisset, hunc invitum praecipitari
iubebat. 4 In iocis quoque perniciosus. Nam eum, quem vidisset albescentes
inter nigros capillos quasi vermiculos habere, sturno adposito, qui se vermes
sectari crederet, capite suppuratum reddebat obtunsione oris. 5 Pinguem hominem
medio ventre dissicuit, ut eius intestina subito funderentur. 6 Monopodios et
luscinios eos, quibus aut singulos oculos tulisset aut singulos pedes
fregisset, appellabat. 7 Multos praeterea passim extinxit alios, quia barbarico
habitu occurrerant, alios quia nobiles et speciosiores erant. 8 Habuit in
deliciis homines appellatos nominibus verendorum utriusque sexus, quos
libentius suis osculis applicabat. 9 Habuit et hominem pene prominentem ultra
modum animalium, quem Onon appellabat, sibi carissimum. quem et ditavit et
sacerdotio Herculis rustici praeposuit.
gulosus: gluttonous, dainty
impudicus: shameless
infamo: to disgrace
Inridentes se feris obiciebat: those who laughed at him he threw
before wild beasts
Tranquilli
librum: i.e. Suetonius De Vita Caesarum
sane: indeed
praedico praedixi praedictum: to tell in advance
invitus: against one’s will
praecipitari iubebat: he ordered his life to be taken
beforehand (But why should anyone express his desire to die?)
albesco : to become white
capillus: hair
vermiculus: a
(little) worm (Diminutive of vermis, corresponding exactly with the English worm)
sturnus: starling
sterno adposito: in classical Latin the subject of an abl.abs.
can’t be the subject of the
sentence, but here it is.
sector sectatus sum: to pursue, hunt after
capite suppuratum reddebat obtunsione oris: he (the starling) left (him) being
suppurated (i.e. discharging pus) on his
head because of the beating (obtunsio)
of the beak.
pinguis: fat
medio ventre: in the middle of his belly
disseco dissicui dissectum: to cut apart
subito: immediately
fundo fudi fusum: to pour out
monopodius: one-footed (Greek word)
luscinius: one-eyed (The word only occurs here and this definition
is both given by Lewis and Short and in the Latin German Georges dictionaries,
but this word can’t be separated from luscinius
`nightingale’. If I remember well, a
blinded bird is thought to sing better than a fully eyed bird. Could it be that Romans kept
nightingales and blinded them? Thus far I have been unable to confirm this
hypothesis.)
fero tuli latum: (here) to rob, take away
frango fregi fractum: to break in pieces
extinguo extinxi extinctum: to kill
barbarico habitu: in barbaric dress
speciosus: handsome
deliciae –arum: lover,
sweetheart (though feminine, the lovers can be male too)
verenda –orum: the private parts
libentius:
eagerly
applico osculis: to give kisses
pene prominentem: standing out with a penis
ultra (+ acc.): greater than
onos: ass, donkey (Greek word, onon is a Greek acc.)
dito: to enrich
sacerdotio
Herculis rustici praeposuit: In put him in charge of (praepono + dat.) the priesthood of Rural Hercules. (This specific
cult is further unknown, though Hercules was widely venerated at Rome.)
Translation:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Commodus*.html
No comments:
Post a Comment