New Britain herald., 1923-02-09

hittcu hcf to tdaf ms son tHeafiotl
 How the murder of Cesar broush
 an end to the relationship beiwesl
 the Roman and the Egyptian Queer
 1t is not necessary to pariieularis,
 here, Also. in "Antony and Cleo
 patra" Shakespeare dramatizes viv,
 idly the further career Of cieopatFs
 as enehantfess.
 cledia esd Fulvis.
 There appeared on the Roman
 stage at the time Of Cesar two
 women who played important parts
 in the political drama which wii-
 messed the rise and fall of the dle-
 tator-clodia and Fulvia. Of the
 former of these. Brandes says that
 she probably was descended from
 that famous Appius claudius ceeus.
 the builder Of the Appian Way and
 the Aqueduct. Her particular admirer
 was caJus vaierius catullus. and around this couple Cicero wove q can
 vas showing Roman beauty at it's
 worst. Every lover Of Latin poetry
 is familiar with the manner in which
 catullus sang the praises of clodia.
 who comes before the reader in the form of his beloved Lesbia.
 "orIginally 1. was the intention of catullus that his friend should be to that period as another Sapho." Brandes afiirms. "her equal in power of attraction. knowledge and taste. Clodia was of an imposing beauty and the aristocratic young men of the day danced attention upon her in her house in Rome. her gardens along the Fiber. or at her country place in Bajae. Married to the opti- mate. Quintus Metellus Celer. who had been praetor in 63 and consul in 60. he was considered a valua- ble military man. When he died in 59. very suddenly. the spiteful ru- nor had it that Clodia personally or through her brother had rid herself of her husband by giving him poi son."
 Brandes gives detailed account of what happened when Clodia and Catullus fell out and how the latter rained abusive language over the one who formerly he had adored. Cicero occupies a prominent place in all those happenings. As one of her accusers he brought her before the Roman seat of judgment. But. argues Brandes, Ito form a true pic- ture of her presents us with unsur- mountable difficulties, since we have not a single line from her hand or a work from her own mouth Her violent accusers were a discarded lover. and malicious lawyer who persetuted her because in her daring and impudent brother he had found an enemy. Greco had busted himself in matter that did not concern him in the least.
 The Rebellion of Women.
 "That Clodia overstepped what was due old time Roman custom and morals is indisputable. But she was no exception in that respect Eman- cipation of woman broke over Rome during the last century of the repub- lie. The ladies were getting tired of sitting at home while Coman and Greek courtesans took possession of their husbands"
 Moral censors of to-day shoot wide of the mark if they adduce from what took place two thousand years ago that the world has changed little. But yet Brandes comes to the defense of the womankind of that period by calling attention to the kind of men that surrounded Clodia, for in stance. To judge her with some show of justice, he says. we must consider her environment. Ciceros contributed chiefly toward the bad reputation attaching to her 
 ITO understand women like Clo- 1ia," affirms the Danish writer, "her sister-in-law Fulyia, and others with similar instincts and methods of act ing, we must remember that their blood was untamed. It was not for nothing that they were the females Q the males who made conquest of he then known world. They fol- owed their impulses, which were al- ways impetuous. sometimes wild"
 If Clodia possessed the beauty of | bacchante, Fulvia's features were hose of a beautiful but wild goddess # vengeance. Like Clodia, she is the eminine instinct of the time, but her tim lies in the direction qfnpower and wealth, not to be worshipo0 by many nen. Ambition to rule. covetousness. eadousy are her component parts. ,he looks upon herself as coming ast in the historical events then cen- ering, and she enjoys to make her. elf felt by gathering taxes. take re- 'enge, have the weaker men obey Ter summons and setting the tronger rulers against each other Q get back the one on whom de- ended her influence. She did not ucceed in pushing aside Octavius so hat Antony became absolute sote- eign. She was no more successful | supplanting Cleopatra. Her life -as passions football; her death ragic."