ローマ喜劇 クレオパトラの娘 後継ぎ希望

　９月２３日なのでローマカテゴリー。しかしまとまった話題ではなのでまた３つの小ネタ。

１　中公新書で先月出た『ローマ喜劇』を少しずつ読んでいる。共和制時代の二人の作家がメインなので、おなじみの名前はほとんど出ないけど、ヨーロッパ演劇の伝統にとっての意味を考えるうえで興味深い。


２　アマゾンから時々案内が来る。先日、英語の小説『クレオパトラの娘』なる新刊のお知らせがあった。めんどくさいのでコピー。

Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel (ハードカバー)
Michelle Moran (著)

内容説明
The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love
stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking
political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers
choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s
revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children
are taken in chains to Rome; only two? the ten-year-old twins Selene and
Alexander?survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s
sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will
return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come
of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family
and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the
longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in
Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice,
it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the
emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony
for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus,
Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s
watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on
the lives of the young Egyptian royals.

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time
and place?the possibility of finding love, the pull of friendship and
family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping
with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find
a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome
are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and
horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets
and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the
colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is
meted out with merciless authority.

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating
portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and
most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the
past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural
intelligence, will capture your heart.


コピー終わり。
作者は、ほかに『ネフェルティティ』なんて本も書いているようだ。


３　「尊厳者」が批判される点の一つに、己の血縁の後継ぎに執着したということがある。確かに、政略結婚をくりかえさせられた娘ユリアや、そのために離婚までさせられた継子ティベリウスにとってはいい迷惑だった。早世した甥や孫息子たちにもプレッシャーはきっとあっただろう。
　しかし、目をよそにやってみると、息子を得るために離婚再婚、妃に濡れ衣着せて処刑までしたヘンリー８世、怪しい占いにすがって悪法で民を圧迫した綱吉。いまの大河を思い出しても、実子の邪魔だからと養子を亡きものにしたばかりかその妻妾・子まで処刑した秀吉（結局、なんの役にもたたなかったムダ極まりない殺生）も連想される。
　－－それにくらべればアウちゃんなんて迷惑かけたのは身内だけだし、血を流したわけではないし、まだまだかわいいものではないかと思うぞ。