Jane Bellemore

Gaius the Pantomime

Gaius had a deep interest in matters theatrical. There is much evidence of his passion for the personalities of the stage and arena, and sources document his actual participation in theatrical and sporting entertainments, including, for the purposes of our discussion, his foray into terpsichorean activities. Most, if not all, of the pantomime ‘appearances’ of Gaius were private, restricted probably to his residence on the Palatine, but one of the reasons which allegedly urged on his assassination in early A.D. 41 was the fear that Gaius was going to dance publicly. Whether or not this motive for the assassination was genuine, for it to have been plausible, Gaius’ dancing must have been the subject of much gossip and perhaps of disapproval.

When did Valerius Maximus write the Dicta et Facta Memorabilia

There can be no doubt that Valerius Maximus completed the Dicta et Facta Memorabilia during the reign of Tiberius (A.D. 14-37), although he refers to this emperor only in general terms, as ‘Caesar’, for example, in the preface to the work or, more usually, as princeps . Despite the fact that Tiberius is not named as such, there are references that note his status as ruler of Rome. First, it is made clear by Valerius that Augustus is dead, and, in addition, there are two specific exempla that show that Tiberius is the current princeps .

Cicero's retreat from Rome in early 58 BC

In early 58, the tribune Clodius proposed a lex de capite civis Romani reaffirming the essence of an earlier lex Sempronia, that no Roman citizen should be put to death without a trial. Since Cicero, as consul in 63, had overseen the summary execution of five men, he was, without doubt, the target of Clodius’ rogation. On the day before the bill de capite civis Romani was voted upon, however, and at the insistence of friend and foe alike, Cicero departed from the city, but his ‘timely’ exit did not put an end to this episode. Very soon after his departure, chattels were removed from his estates under the aegis of the consuls, and his wife was subjected to financial harassment.

The date of Cicero's Pro Archia

The Bobiensian scholiast tells us that the speech Pro Archia was delivered by Cicero in a court presided over by his brother Quintus as praetor, who held this office in 62 B.C. The scholiast makes two clear references to Quintus (ad Pro Archia 3): (a) Archias presented this case, dealing with the Papian law on Roman citizenship, in the court of Quintus Cicero, the brother of this Marcus Tullius … (b) It is significant that he makes mention of the praetor himself, that is of his brother Quintus Cicero, who was in charge of the trial. Indeed, it is most appropriate that he speaks in praise of a fine poet in the court of someone who takes pleasure in pursuits of this kind, for Quintus Cicero was a writer not only of epic, but also of tragedy.