3.A REIGN THAT IS CRUEL IS STORMY
3. THE NAME “PARENT” SUITED HIM WELL
Suetonius [Aug., 58.1]: The whole people, suddenly and with unanimous consent, offered him the title of “Father of his Country.” He was hailed by Valerius Messala on behalf of the whole senate. Ovid, Fasti [2.127130]:
Sacred Father of your country! on you the people, on you the senate Conferred this title; this also we knights conferred.
But long before, reality conferred it; late you received your true Name; long since were yu father of the world.
And Tristia [2.181f]:
Spare me, Father of your country! do not, forgetful of this title, Deprive me of the hope of appeasing you one day.
This was done on the Nones of February. Yet Bapfista Egnatius, a
meritorious scholar of ancient literature, errs in his history of the Caesars, when he declares that the Title, “Father of his Country,” was first
attributed to Augustus, when it previously had been bestowed upon the dictator, as will be seen elsewhere.
EVEN THE PERSONAI, INSULTS
It is to be noted here that he says princes bear insults more bitterly than injuries. An injury, as Ulpian says, whether by deed or by word, is no different from an insult. This statement does not at all agree with this
passage of Seneca. Therefore it is to be referred to Marcellus’ [Non.
Marc., 5 (p. 431)] distinction. He says that an injury differs from an insult in this respect, that an injury is a lighter matter. Pacuvius, Peribea: I easily bear an injury, if it is free of insult. I can easily suffer hardship if injury is absent. Even injury, unless, on the contrary, insult agrees with it. For as the same Ulpian [Dig. Just., 47.10.1.1] states: Contumely [insult] is derived from the verb to contemn. There is nothing princes bear more grudgingly than to be contemned. For insult has a sort of sting, says Cicero [In Verr., 2.3.41.95], which good men cannot bear. And Publilius Syrus: Neither a strong nor a freeborn man can bear insult. Aristotle, Ethics [4.8,1125a 110] thinks it servile to put up with insults. If this is true of other men, it must be doubly true of the prince. Nazarius,
Panegyric to Constantine [12.2]: 0 what sharp pangs of sorrow have come to you from the insult which an inferior imposes upon you! This
expression, “his insults,” is used in the same way as Cicero speaks in his Philipp. [13.19.40]: He proceeds to my abuse, as if his former gibes have enjoyed the fairest success. Thus also Coelius said with a passive meaning,
“your memory.” Cic., Ep. Faro., [8.1.1]: It is not that anything in the world would be more delightful to me... than to exert myself on behalf of your memory. It was an insult when [Suet., Aug., 54] Labeo Antistius, in reading the names of the senators.., read also the name of M. Lepidus... in exile at Circeii, to taunt Augustus. Another insult was when some
infamous libels against him were passed round in the senate-house [Ibid., 55]; also when a certain senator addressed him in these words, “I would contradict you, if I had the chance,” and others: “The senators ought to be allowed to speak on public matters.” [Ibid., 54].
BECAUSE, WHEN HE WAS THE VICTIM OF LAMPOONS, HE SMILED
Plutarch praises that saying of Alexander: It is kingly for him who does good to suffer blame. Augustus followed this dictum, for he patiently listened to vile abuses and lampoons which were heaped upon him.
Macrobius also recounts this [Sat., 2.4.20f]. We shall quote a few bits.
After he had asked jokingly a youth from the provinces who closely resembled him, whether his mother was ever at Rome, he said “no”; but not content with this, added, “My father often.” And Pollio, [Sat., 2.4.21]
when Augustus had written Fescennine verses against him, said: “But I remain silent; it is not easy to inscribe verses against one who can
proscribe.” For other examples of this sort, see Macrobius [Sat., 2.4] and Seneca, On Anger [3.22ff]. Augustus himself wrote in a letter to Tiberius [Suet., Aug., 51.3]: Do not.., be so indignant that any person should speak ill of me. It is enough if we can prevent any one from really doing us harm.
WHOM ON ACCOUNT OF ADULTERY WITH HIS FAMILY It is well known that the two Julias, his daughter and granddaughter, contaminated the house of Augustus with every sort of lewdness and on that account were banished. [Aug., 65.1] See Suetonius and Seneca, On Benefits [6.32.1], and Pliny [H.N., 7.13(11)57; 7.45(46). 149]. Of these persons Seneca therefore now speaks, who were accustomed to indulge in debauchery with the daughter and granddaughter, or who were accomplices in the adulteries. He says they were treated rather gently, because after condemnation they did not receive the ultimate punishment but were only subjected to banishment: in fact, he first gave them their PASSPORTS and then packed them off. Nevertheless it is not true that they were as gently treated by Augustus as Seneca declares. In actual fact, some were
subjected to the ultimate penalty of death: among them, Julius Antonius.
See Tacitus [Ann., 4.44]. Erasmus here divines that the reading should be filiae [for familiae] — a matter of no moment.
CHAPTER 11
1. Such was Augustus when he was old, or just upon the verge of old age. In youth he was hotheaded, flared up with anger, and did many things which he looked back upon with regret. To compare the mildness of the deified Augustus with yours no one will dare, even if the arms of youth shall be brought into competition with an old age more than ripe. Granted that he was restrained and clement — yes, to be sure, but it was after Actium’s waters had been stained with Roman blood, after his own and an enemy’s fleet had been destroyed off Sicily, after the altars of Perusia and the proscriptions.
2. I, surely, do not call sated cruelty clemency. This, O Caesar, is true clemency, that you display, which arises from no regret for violence done, that bears no stain, and never shed a cornpatriot’s blood. In a position of unlimited power this is in the truest sense self-control and an inclusive love of the human race — not to be perverted by any low desire, or to be kindled by rashness, nor by the corrupt example of previous princes to be tempted into testing by experiment what license one may employ against fellow-citizens, but rather to dull the edge of supreme power.
3. You have achieved, Caesar, a state unstained by blood, and you have