These are reputed
to be the dying words of Augustus
, the first real Roman Emperor
, who died following an illness on 19 August, 14 AD
, supposedly around 3 p.m.
It is said by some chronicler
s that his wits were leaving him near the end, and this could be the reason behind these strange words, which seem incongruous
when contrasted with other aspects of Augustus
's reletively sedate
Suetonius, an important historian of these times, reports that Augustus called his friends together and asked, "Have I played my part in the farce of life creditably enough? If I have pleased you, kindly signify appreciation with a warm goodbye." He then bade farewell to his wife Livia, exclaimed that forty men were carrying him off, and died. This makes for a much poorer story than the five words in the node's title, but history often cheats us in such ways.