Nero, Apollo, and the Poets

Bibliographic Data

ID4904604
AuthorsEdward Champlin (corresponding author)
Year2003
Volume57
Issue3/4
Pages276
Publication date2003-01-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenuePhoenix (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0031-8299 • E-ISSN: 1929-4883
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/3648517
OpenAlexW2058581996
LanguageEN
Citations received32
References cited5

TOWARD THE END OF HIS REIGN, ostentatiously identified himself with Apollo citharode, most notoriously in great eiselastic triumph of late 67 which culminated with sacrifice not only to Capitoline Jupiter, but to Palatine Apollo as well, and to Sol in Circus Maximus (Suet. 25, 53). By then, felt that his position as equal of Apollo as a singer and Sol as a charioteer was assured, and Apollo divine lyre-player adorned his coins. When did god and emperor first associate? J. Toynbee answered question sixty years ago in her paper on Nero Artifex: The Apocolocyntosis Reconsidered.' Toynbee cited Tacitus (Ann. 14.14-15) and Cassius Dio (61.19-21) to effect that, after murder of Agrippina, indulged in his long-suppressed desire to race chariots and to sing on stageSong was sacred to Apollo, and that famous god of prophecy was represented in a musician's dress (Tacitus)-and that his chosen band of Augustiani then hailed him at his stage performance in Juvenalia of 59 with words Glorious Caesar! Our Apollo, our Augustus, another Pythian! (Dio). Toynbee concluded that the Apollo aspect of affair seems to be something quite new in 59: we have no trace of it in early years of Nero's reign (90). Toynbee's observation is so evidently correct that ancient testimony need be mentioned only briefly. Most importantly, for Tacitus Apolline equation is clearly something new, and he presents it in 59 as part of Nero's justification for his vetus cupido to perform in public. There is no hint of it earlier in narrative. Similarly with Suetonius: beyond two references late in reign-that is, triumph of 67, and comparison with Apollo, both noted above-there is only anonymous jibe, dum tendit citharam noster, dum cornua Parthus, / noster erit Paean, ille Hecatebeletes (while ours strums his lyre, Parthian's draws his bow; ours shall be Paean, theirs Far-Shooter). This is quoted along with two other pasquinades on murder of Agrippina (59 or after) and one on Golden House (64 or after), and warlike Parthian Apollo can only have become topical after embarrassing capitulation of Caesennius Paetus to Parthians in 62.2 Dio alludes to as Apollo or Helios only twice after notice of 59, and not before: while celebrating triumphal coronation of Tiridates of Armenia in 66, crowd at theatre was protected from sun by a purple awning, at centre of which was figure of driving a chariot, surrounded by golden stars; and at his triumph of 67 crowds cheered their emperor with Hail to Apollo.3

Apollo · Art · Astrobiology · Biology · Physics · Zoology · Classical Antiquity Studies

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub