Vox Populi: Roman Song

Subject: Vox Populi: Roman Song
From: Amos
Date: 28 Mar 00 - 10:30 AM

You may be aware that the study of the Classic languages is enhoying a revival in some circles, aided by Internet technology. One discussion group recently included the following Ancient Roman people's song celebrating no less a personage than Julius Caesar himself -- it's a bit bloody, but when in Rome, do as...

Song in Honor of Caesar  Those of you who have studied with Reginald Foster are familiar with this ditty:  Ecce Caesar nunc triumphat qui subegit Galliam,  Civiumque multitudo celebrat victoriam.          Gaius Iulius Caesar noster, imperator, pontifex,          Primum praetor, deinde consul, nunc dictator, moxque rex.  En victores procedentes, laeti floribus novis,  Magna praeda sunt potiti et captivis plurimis.  Exsultantes magna voce Io triumphe! concinunt,  Dum auratum ante currum victa oppida ferunt.  Legiones viam sacram totam complent strepitu,  Capitolinumque collem scandit Caesar in curru.  O sol pulcher, o laudande! Caesarem recepimus,  Et corona triumphali honoratum vidimus.  Reginald used to have us sing it to the tune of "Clementine," which always sounded a bit hokie to me for celebrating such a great man.  The last Ides of March I passed in Rome we came up with doing it to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy," a bit more dignified, if I may say so myself.

Englsh Translation See Caesar now rides in triumph, who overthrew Gaul, and a crows of citizens celebrates his victory Our Gaius Julius Caesar, conqueror, priest, first praetor, then consul, now dictator and soon king. (Praetor was one of the official posts that every Roman politician held on his way up the ladder called the "cursus honoris", course of honor; consul was sort of like president.)  The happy people, with fresh flowers, going ahead in victories, great booty (loot) has been gotten, and a lot of captives The celebrators shout together "Hey triumph!" in a great voice,  while they bring before the gilded track the beaten towns. (One assumes this means the people of the towns, being marched through Rome in chains, as was generally done w/ conquered people. It was largely to avoid this that Cleopatra committed suicide.)  Legions fill up the sacred way with a big racket, and Caesar in a chariot climbs up the Capitoline hill. O beautiful sun, o worthy-of-praise! We have received Caesar and we have seen him honored with a triumphal crown.

Subject: RE: Vox Populi: Roman Song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 28 Mar 00 - 02:03 PM

That's great, Amos. Know anything more about the history of the song? I'm guessing it comes from a 15th-century Latin class (or from sometime in the mid-to-late part of the Second Millennium), not from the time of Julius Caesar. The style seems medieval, not classical - but this is just my guess on the matter.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Vox Populi: Roman Song
From: Amos
Date: 28 Mar 00 - 02:43 PM

Well, I have to ask my sister, who is our family expert in this department, Joe, and who sent it to me int he first place. I will get back to you...

Subject: RE: Vox Populi: Roman Song
From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring
Date: 28 Mar 00 - 04:29 PM

I'm reminded of some of the Latin hymns like "Pange lingua gloriosi proelium certaminis" etc. -- which is by Venantius Fortunatus (died 600). Still, I'd really like to know where this is from. It does sound "authentic", and not a modern forgery.

Subject: RE: Vox Populi: Roman Song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Mar 00 - 04:06 AM

I was going to say you were wong, Murray, but you're not. The "Pange Lingua" I'm familiar with was written by St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century, one of five long eucharistic hymns he wrote for the Feast of Corpus Christi. Click here for information about the two hymns, both with the same title. As you can see, the earlier hymn by Venantius Fortunatus has a much more complex style. Aquinas wrote beautiful Latin, but it was of a style much different from that of the time of Caesar.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Vox Populi: Roman Song
From: Snuffy
Date: 29 Mar 00 - 07:41 AM

If you want something a bit more stately, you can sing it to the hymn tune of "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken", which is called "Austria Hymn" (by Haydn) in my hymnbook, but is possibly better nown as Deutschland Uber Alles.

We find Clementine goes well with this tune, and there is plenty of scope for harmonising.

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Vox Populi: Roman Song
From: Amos
Date: 29 Mar 00 - 12:51 PM

Here is some further background and history to the song, from our family Classics scholar:

Here is what has been posted on the Latinteach list ("ad usum delphini"
means for the use of the Dauphin, which is to say, G-rated, expurgated;
"Ad usum delphinem" (sic) means "for the use dolphin" -- a typo):
 

"What you may be missing here is some of the history of this
ditty, which is a version ad usum delphinem of what is found in Seutonius de Vita
Caesarum, 49.4:

<<Gallico denique triumpho milites eius inter cetera carmina, qualia
currum prosequentes ioculariter canunt, etiam illud vulgatissimum
pronuntiaverunt:
    Gallias Caesar subegit, Nicomedes Caesarem:
    ecce Caesar nunc triumphat qui subegit Gallias,
   Nicomedes non triumphat qui subegit Caesarem.>>

 I'll leave it to you to note the changes."

RJ's Translation: Then his soldiers in the triumph from Gaul sang, among
other songs, jokingly as they escorted his chariot, (and) they also(or
"even)  pronounced this very vulgar/disgraceful thing (this is according
to Suetonius, who wrote in the first century AD):

Caesar has subdued the Gauls, and Nicomedes has subdued Caesar;

(Note:Caesar was reliably reported to have had a homosexual affair w/
Nicomedes, the king of Bithynia in Asia Minor; Caesar was bi. On his
return from a mission as envoy to Asia Minor early in his career, he was
called "the Queen of Bithynia". Caesar's wife was supposed to be above
suspicion but Caesar himself was a prolific source of sexual scandal, far
more varied than Clinton or any modern politician, and he never had to
apologize.  Rome never had Puritans, although periodically someone would
raise a great hullabaloo about traditional Roman values like piety and
virtue, and the terrible decline of morals. RJ)

Behold Caesar now rides in triumph who subjugated the Gauls,
Nicomedes doesn't ride in triumph, who subjugated Caesar.

Apparently there were various dirty verses in the ancient world, which I
don't know.  It is probably safe to assume that some of what remains is
ancient and much of it not.

(See, I haven't totally wasted my time all these years. Thank God someone
actually asked about something I could answer!)

Subject: RE: Vox Populi: Roman Song
From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring
Date: 29 Mar 00 - 12:59 PM

Thanks, Joe--a very interesting (and scholarly) link--I'm convinced now that the Caesar song is closer to Thomas than Venantius. Still waiting for the provenance, though, Amos!

Subject: RE: Vox Populi: Roman Song
From: Amos
Date: 29 Mar 00 - 01:32 PM

Murray:

See the reference to Seutonius in my previous post -- we probably crossposted here. That's all I have on it.

Best regards,

A

Subject: RE: Vox Populi: Roman Song
From: Joe Offer
Date: 29 Mar 00 - 02:25 PM

Here's another interesting link - Internet Ancient History Sourcebook. Click here for what Britannica has to say about Suetonius, who lived about 69-122 A.D. Looks like I was wrong, and Amos was right. I may doubt him again (but that seems highly unlikely).
-Joe Offer, once-proud winner of the Auxilium Latinum medal, 1962-