In 46 BC, Decimus Laberius performed a short farce of his own making during one of the shows Julius Caesar had put on to celebrate giving everyone a jolly good kicking in the Civil Wars.
I mention the laberius incident in book two of my Mark Antony series, Caesar's General. As an aside, don't forget that over time the distinction between plebeian and patrician eroded, so for example there was supposed to be one plebeian consul. Cicero was plebeian, as was mark Antony originally, though his family was promoted to become patrician. Clodius of course famously went in the other direction so he could be elected tribune.
Thank you for your amusingly written and informative articles.
I should be greatly interested in learning more about the Roman banking system, such as how, where, and through what mechanisms wealthy Romans saved, transferred and invested their money.
There appears to be little understanding of this important aspect of Roman life and society.
I mention the laberius incident in book two of my Mark Antony series, Caesar's General. As an aside, don't forget that over time the distinction between plebeian and patrician eroded, so for example there was supposed to be one plebeian consul. Cicero was plebeian, as was mark Antony originally, though his family was promoted to become patrician. Clodius of course famously went in the other direction so he could be elected tribune.
Indeed, yes. Augustus was from a plebian family, too.
I was just going over Clodius' sideways move in my translation of Suetonius. Which I might actually finish one day.
I haven't read your book, so I must add it to my reading list!
Great. Book 3 comes out in June, and I've just finished writing book 4, the last one!
Thank you for your amusingly written and informative articles.
I should be greatly interested in learning more about the Roman banking system, such as how, where, and through what mechanisms wealthy Romans saved, transferred and invested their money.
There appears to be little understanding of this important aspect of Roman life and society.
Thank you for your kind words.
I can certainly write an article about that for you. Give me a few days, and I will have something for you to read!
Thank you!!
I await ‘a suspiria contorta’.
I was reading a different book about Rome and when they mentioned a guy being "thrown in the Tiber", for some reason I thought of you. 😄
I threw myself in the Tiber once!
You got better?
I've only ever thrown myself into creeks. I drove across the Mississippi.
The sesterce was the Roman equivalent of the dollar or pound?
It's hard to put an equivalent value on such things, but as a rough guide, yes. One sesterce to a dollar.