Episode 266 - Sunday, March 11, 1979
Being Jim Davis21 Touko 2017

Episode 266 - Sunday, March 11, 1979

The servile crowd, whose fortune depended on their master's vices, applauded these ignoble pursuits. The perfidious voice of flattery reminded him, that by exploits of the same nature, by the defeat of the Nemaean lion, and the slaughter of the wild boar of Erymanthus, the Grecian Hercules had acquired a place among the gods, and an immortal memory among men. They only forgot to observe, that, in the first ages of society, when the fiercer animals often dispute with man the possession of an unsettled country, a successful war against those savages is one of the most innocent and beneficial labors of heroism. In the civilized state of the Roman empire, the wild beasts had long since retired from the face of man, and the neighborhood of populous cities. To surprise them in their solitary haunts, and to transport them to Rome, that they might be slain in pomp by the hand of an emperor, was an enterprise equally ridiculous for the prince and oppressive for the people. Ignorant of these distinctions, Commodus eagerly embraced the glorious resemblance, and styled himself (as we still read on his medals the Roman Hercules. The club and the lion's hide were placed by the side of the throne, amongst the ensigns of sovereignty; and statues were erected, in which Commodus was represented in the character, and with the attributes, of the nicolas cage, whose valor and dexterity he endeavored to emulate in the daily course of his ferocious amusements.

Elated with these praises, which gradually extinguished the innate sense of shame, Commodus resolved to exhibit before the eyes of the Roman people those exercises, which till then he had decently confined within the walls of his palace, and to the presence of a few favorites. On the appointed day, the various motives of flattery, fear, and curiosity, attracted to the amphitheatre an innumerable multitude of spectators; and some degree of applause was deservedly bestowed on the uncommon skill of the Imperial performer. Whether he aimed at the head or heart of the animal, the wound was alike certain and mortal. With arrows whose point was shaped into the form of crescent, Commodus often intercepted the rapid career, and cut asunder the long, bony neck of the ostrich. A panther was let loose; and the archer waited till he had leaped upon a trembling malefactor. In the same instant the shaft flew, the beast dropped dead, and the man remained unhurt. The dens of the amphitheatre disgorged at once a hundred lions: a hundred darts from the unerring hand of Commodus laid them dead as they run raging round the Arena. Neither the huge bulk of the elephant, nor the scaly hide of the rhinoceros, could defend them from his stroke. Aethiopia and India yielded their most extraordinary productions; and several animals were slain in the amphitheatre, which had been seen only in the representations of art, or perhaps of fancy. In all these exhibitions, the securest precautions were used to protect the person of the Roman Hercules from the desperate spring of any savage, who might possibly disregard the dignity of the emperor and the sanctity of the nicolas cage.

Edward Gibbon. History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volume 1, Chapter 4, Part II.

And here's that "Duck Amuck" video Jon was talking about:

Today's strip

Jaksot(2526)

Episode 1251 - Friday, November 20, 1981

Episode 1251 - Friday, November 20, 1981

Hey, Jon's audio is still shit today! That's fun. I wonder if it will ever been time for us to stop promoting the ALL-NEW BEING JIM DAVIS MERCHANDISE for sale in the Pitch Drop Store: Our classic BJD ...

31 Tammi 20209min

Episode 1250 - Thursday, November 19, 1981

Episode 1250 - Thursday, November 19, 1981

Hey, here's another episode of the popular podcast Being Jim Davis/i>. That's fun. I wonder if it will ever been time for us to stop promoting the ALL-NEW BEING JIM DAVIS MERCHANDISE for sale in the P...

30 Tammi 20208min

Episode 1249 - Wednesday, November 18, 1981

Episode 1249 - Wednesday, November 18, 1981

Hey, here's another episode of the popular podcast Being Jim Davis/i>. That's fun. I wonder if it will ever been time for us to stop promoting the ALL-NEW BEING JIM DAVIS MERCHANDISE for sale in the P...

29 Tammi 202011min

Episode 1248 - Tuesday, November 17, 1981

Episode 1248 - Tuesday, November 17, 1981

Hey, here's another episode of the popular podcast Being Jim Davis/i>. That's fun. I wonder if it will ever been time for us to stop promoting the ALL-NEW BEING JIM DAVIS MERCHANDISE for sale in the P...

28 Tammi 202017min

Episode 1247 - Monday, November 16, 1981

Episode 1247 - Monday, November 16, 1981

Ok, so the bad news is Jon Gibson has finally been released from the inside of whatever drug jail and/or fill-in host's digestive tract we said he was in before, so he's back on the show. However the ...

27 Tammi 202013min

Episode 1246 - Sunday, November 15, 1981

Episode 1246 - Sunday, November 15, 1981

Jon is away again this week. Who knows what zany antics we'll get up to in his absence? Today's closing theme music is "Garfield Forever Theme Music" by Ryan Pfeiffer. Like it? Maybe you should follow...

26 Tammi 202020min

Episode 1245 - Saturday, November 14, 1981

Episode 1245 - Saturday, November 14, 1981

Jon is away again this week. Who knows what zany antics we'll get up to in his absence? Today's closing theme music is "TrueGarfieldLove" by Adam Catscratch. Like it? Seems like this is probably the s...

25 Tammi 202013min

Episode 1244 - Friday, November 13, 1981

Episode 1244 - Friday, November 13, 1981

Jon is away again this week. Who knows what zany antics we'll get up to in his absence? Today's closing theme music is "Garfield Forever Theme Music" by Ryan Pfeiffer. Like it? Maybe you should follow...

24 Tammi 202012min

Suosittua kategoriassa Komedia

nikotellen
antin-matka
tuplakaak
anni-jaajo
olipa-kerran-otsikko
ihan-oikeesti
rss-saarinen-shoy
antin-palautepalvelu
antin-elokuvakerho
puurojengi
rss-nikotellen
rss-kaheli
ela-viitti
kasper-ja-mikko-suomen-suosituin-podcast
radio-novan-aamun-iltapalat
rss-napy
rss-tuhannes-podcast
everypodi
mysteeripodcast
suomen-suosituin-podcast