The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-01-03

mankind. Indeed he issued an edict
that he be worshiped as a god pos
sessing immortality. So extravagantly
did the wretch rave on"
To the senate he frequently would
send a despatch couched in these
terms: Caesar Imperator, Lucius AeIi-
us, Aurelius Commodus, Augustus, Plus,
Beatus, Sarmaticus, GerInanicus. Max
linus, Brittanicus, Peacemaker of the
World, Invincible, Roman Hercules,
High Priest, Holder of the Tribuni-
clan Authority for the eighteenth term.
Imperator for the eighth time. Consul
for the seventh time, Father of the
Fatherland, to consuls, praetors, trib
unes and the Commodian Fortunate
Senate, Greeting" Great numbers of
statues were erected displaying him
in the garb of Hercules. Finally II
was voted that his age should be
called the Golden Age" and that en-
tries to correspond with this should
in every case be made in the official
records.
The Odds Always Favored the Emperor.
"Had he been content to stop there,
Rome might have endured him. But
his madness grew. Murder became
his pastime and the shedding of blood
his passion. He impoverished the pub
lie treasury in vain shows and spec
tacles. When the Golfers were empty
he raised more funds by extortion and
by slaughter. No wealthy Roman was
immune from his demands. Some
among our rich he had killed on
trumped-up charges. cQnfiscating their
estates to his own private uses; TO
others he granted temporary protection
when they vastly enriched his purse.
"As his madness mounted in his
veins he became DESTROYS to play pub
licly the part of a gladiator. Prevl-
ously he had done this cheapening
thing in the privacy of his palace
grounds. Bur presently he cast aside
all scruples and appeared in the arena
wearing the green uniform Of COM
mon athlete.
"For months before this browning
act of clownishness on his part took
place, rumors had come to my ears OF
things transpiring i his gardens. No
deed of bestial cruelty in the guise of
horSepay had been beneath him in his
private performances. He had slaves
brought before him and aping bar
Der would pretend TO shave them. But
instead of cutting off the hairs of their
thA Of
one. the ears of another, the lips of a
third.
He fought hand-to-hand against pris-
oners, but they were armed with wood
en- swords and he with sharp steel,
and after he had spOrted awhile with
these doomed wretches he would STAY
them one by one. Hideous as these
things were, they took place behind
high walls; the day of Rome's crown.
ing ignominy came when he laid aside
his regal vestments and appeared be-
fore the people at the great outdoor
theater in the role of hired fighter
a professional entertainer.
cownish Tragedy.
"He entered that day dressed as
Mercury, in a coat of white silk inter-
woven with gold, worn beneath robe
of pure purple dotted with jewels, on
his head crown of gems and gold,
and carrying the herald's staff emble-
matte of Mercury. And we-the SEN
ate-we must stand and greet him in
that monstrous masquerade. Worse
was to come. Suddenly he flung off
these garments and stood revealed in
a short tunic, with his feet unshod
over his shoulder was draped a lion
skin and in his hand was placed a
knotted club of wood-for now he was
Hercules! From this time on, the lion
skin and the club invariably were car
ried in professions before him through
the streets, and at the theater they
were placed alongside his gilded chair
if he were present, or put In their
chair in case he CHANGED to be absent
from the games. He began driving
his own chariot.
ION this first day of his appearance
as a gladiator he inaugurated the
sports by killing hundred tame bears.
shooting them with arrows from a
place in the upper tier as they were
led. one after another, across the sand
beneath him. While this mummery
went on we were required to shout
continuously:
"Thou art indeed god! Thou
art lord and thou art foremost of all
of
thou shalt conquer; from everlasting,
Amazonian, thou dost conquerp
Following this he went down into
the blood-soaked enclosure and killed