ricardienne | (no subject)

1840 play about the reign of Caracalla featuring Thrasea Priscus, the wild-eyed Republican senator.

"But,

ricardienne," someone says, "I have been dutifully following your many allusions and linkages to those illustrious names, and I am pretty sure that they are different people, neither of whom lived in Antonine climes!" There actually is a Thrasea Priscus on record getting himself executed in the reign of Caracalla. Sir Ronald includes him at the end of his monograph on the subject,* and he's probably in Gibbon. Nevertheless, there are probably better ways to introduce such a character than:

Thrasea Priscus—
Last of the line of that Thrasea Poetus, [sic]
And that Helvidius Priscus, who, in the days
Of Nero, (bad enough, but better yet
Than these,) were patriots, that outlived
Rome's liberty, and perished for their folly,
Yet are by Tacitus immortalized.

The best thing to read, however, is the introductory essay, which is basically a rant about how this play is so awesome that no one would put it on, because the modern theatre world is degenerate and doesn't understand TRUE ART and all of that.

*[Syme, Ronald. “A political group.” Reprinted in Roman Papers VII. Oxford: 1991. 568-587.]

EDIT: Full name: Lucius Valerius Messalla Thrasea Poplicola Helvidius Priscus.