Friday, April 23, 2010
Apocolocyntosis Sect. 1
What happened in the sky three days before the Ides of October in the new year, the beginning of a happiest age, I wish to hand over to memory. Nothing will not be given whether offensive or pleasing. Thus this is the truth. If anyone should have asked whence I know, first, if I shall not be willing, I will not respond. Who could compel me? I know that I have been made free, from the time that man met his final day, who made true the proverb: "You ought to be born either a king or a fool". If it will have pleased to respond, I will say what comes into my mouth. Who ever drove forth oaths from an historian? Nevertheless if it will have been necessary to produce the author, ask he who saw Drusilla going into the sky: he will say that he saw Claudius making the same journey "in not equal steps". Like it or not, it is necessary for that man to see everything which is driven into the sky: he is the caretaker of the Appian Way on which, you know, both the Divine Augustus and Tiberius Caesar went to the gods. If you will have asked this man, he will tell you alone: he will never make words in the presence of many. For from that time he swore in the senate that he had seen Drusilla ascending the sky and no one believed him what he saw in return for such good news, with conceived words he affirmed that he would not give indication even if he saw a man killed in the middle of the Forum. Those things which I heard from him then, I bring forth certainly and clearly, thus as I would have him safe and happy.
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I think it fitting to provide commentary in the comments section.
ReplyDeleteThe opening lines of this section mirror those of the opening lines typical of historical records using the language "quid actum sit" (lit: that which has transpired), an idiom meaning "what happened". Using this language for a work with such content is a means of mocking the historical style as well as providing means for jokes further on within the setting of this "true historical record".
The date October 13th "ante diem III idus Octobris" is of course the widely rumoured date of Claudius' death.
The proverb mentioned seems to be a Latinization of the proverb seen in Horace's Satires 2.3.188 "μωρῶι καὶ βασιλεῖ νόμος ἄγρφος" (the law is unwritten for a fool and a king).
Drusilla of course is the incestuous sister of Gaius Caligula.
The quoting of "non passibus aequis" (in not equal steps) is of uncertain origin.
"verbis conceptis" (conceived words) simply refers to his unhesitating rebuttal as having been thought out before spoken.