Hail to the chiefs
New Zealand Listener|November 18-24 2023
Historian Mary Beard draws on ancient sources and educated guesswork to define what it took to be a Caesar.
Sarah Laing
Hail to the chiefs

Everyone dies, even emperors of Rome And as Augustus's health worsened in the summer of 14CE, the first emperor of Rome knew his time had come and he should make ready to join the gods on Mt Olympus.

The ancient writer Suetonius records that, after relaxing for a few days on the exclusive island of Capri and partying on board a boat in the Bay of Naples - the emperor and his entourage were the original 1% - the 75-year-old ruler of most of the known world retired to his deathbed at his father's old home in Nola, now a suburb of modern Naples. Settling himself on a couch in the very room his paterfamilias had breathed his last, Augustus requested his hair be combed, his sagging jaw straightened and that some old friends join him in his last hours.

He had, it turned out, a question for them: had he, the mighty Augustus, imperator, caesar and ruler of the greatest empire the world had yet known, "played his part in the comedy of life properly", he wondered, before adding two lines of verse in Greek: "since the play has gone down well, give us a clap/ and send us away with applause".

Whether his friends gave their dying caesar an ovation is not recorded, but that wasn't really the point of the great man's question.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEW ZEALAND LISTENERView all
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 mins  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024