Last night in Rome and one of the MUST see items was the famous Pantheon, a temple built by Agrippa in honor of all the gods. He was the son-in-law of Octavian, which gave him the where-with-all to build such a fabulous building. It is still considered the finest remaining from the Roman Empire, in all the world.
Octavian is better known to us as Augustus, from his title that means "Your Eminence". Augustus never became a king or even called himself emperor, always claiming to be just a "princeps" (leading man), but under his leadership much of Roman art and especially literature flourished. Virgil, Horace and Ovid wrote for him. And the historian Livy, who gave us our best insight to life and times in the Roman world, claimed Augustus as patron. Augustus left the Empire in such great shape, that his successor, Tiberius was able to rule the whole thing from his villa in Capri. Nice work if you can get it.
As history tends to repeat, I bring up other points: Agrippa, as you may remember, was a military type, kicking asp on Marcus Anthony and his Egyptian girl friend Cleo. Augustus had a wife, Lidia, who was a power in her own right, and established many of the Western world's social norms, many that carry on to this day.
Unlike Agrippa, I will never fight Cleopatra or build a temple, but I do enjoy writing for you two. And I thank "Your Eminencies" for being one of my patrons, giving me Jean as my muse, being family type which helps provide the incentive and ability for she and me to enjoy a life like no one else I know. Wish you were here.
- Roddyus Maximus
PS - Continuing the Kitto/Augustus family parallels may not be a good idea. So I won't bring up that Charlie II would fit into this as Caligula, the mad Emperor that had to be popped off by his own guards when he became too bizarre. He was followed by Nero (Charlie III?), who was run out of town by the Senate for having his mother assassinated and similar behavior. And Bill, of course, would have to be sold into slavery.
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