Dio's Rome, Volume 1: An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek during the Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English Form — John Shaqi
Dio's Rome, Volume 1: An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek during the Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English FormCassius Dio Cocceianus
History
Dio's Rome, Volume 1: An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek during the Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus: and Now Presented in English Form
Cassius Dio Cocceianus
Rome -- History
Needing money for the building of the temple Tarquin waged war upon
the inhabitants of Ardea; but from it he gained no money, and he was
driven out of the kingdom. Signs also came in his way that indicated
his expulsion. Out of his garden vultures drove the young of eagles,
and in the men's hall, where he was having a banquet with his friends,
a huge serpent appeared and caused him and his companions at table to
decamp. In consequence of this he sent his sons Titus and Aruns to
Delphi. But as Apollo declared that he should not be driven from his
domain till a dog should use human speech, he was elated with hopes
for the best, thinking that the oracle could never be fulfilled.
[Sidenote: FRAG. 10^5] NOW LUCIUS JUNIUS WAS A SON OF TARQUIN'S
SISTER; HIS FATHER AND BROTHER TARQUIN HAD KILLED. SO HE, FEARING FOR
HIS OWN PERSON, FEIGNED MADNESS, EMPLOYING THIS MEANS OF SAFETY AS A
SCREEN FOR HIS LIFE. HENCE HE WAS DUBBED BRUTUS, FOR THIS IS THE NAME
BY WHICH THE LATINS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO CALL IDIOTS. WHILE PRETENDING TO
BE MAD HE WAS TAKEN ALONG AS A PLAYTHING BY THE CHILDREN OF TARQUIN,
WHEN THEY JOURNEYED TO DELPHI. AND HE SAID THAT HE WAS CARRYING A
VOTIVE OFFERING TO THE GOD; THIS WAS A STAFF, APPARENTLY POSSESSING NO
POINT OF EXCELLENCE, so that he became a laughing stock for it all the
more. It furnished a kind of image of the affliction that he feigned.
For he had hollowed it out and had secretly poured in gold, indicating
thereby that the disesteem which he suffered for his madness served to
conceal a sound and estimable intelligence. [Sidenote: FRAG. 10^7] TO
THE QUERY OF THE SONS OF TARQUIN AS TO WHO SHOULD SUCCEED TO THEIR
FATHER'S SOVEREIGNTY THE GOD REPLIED THAT THE FIRST WHO KISSED HIS
MOTHER SHOULD OBTAIN THE POWER. AND BRUTUS, COMPREHENDING, FELL DOWN
AS IF ACCIDENTALLY AND COVERED THE EARTH WITH KISSES, RIGHTLY DEEMING
HER TO BE THE MOTHER OF ALL.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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