Strange saga of Roman leader Germanicus

It is the birthday of Roman general Germanicus Julius Caesar (15 BC), who distinguished himself in military campaigns along the Rhine River and in Gaul. He was nephew and adoptive son of Emperor Tiberius, who ruled the Roman Empire at the time Jesus Christ was crucified. For many years while Augustus was emperor, he considered Germanicus, his great-nephew, to be his heir but Augustus’ wife prevailed upon him to choose Tiberius, her son from another marriage. (Got that?) In any case, Germanicus died young, probably from poisoning, and scholars think Tiberius had something to do with it. Germanicus’ offspring didn’t turn out so great, either. One of his sons became the infamous Emperor Caligula, whose reign was marked with cruelty, sexual perversity, sadism, and extravagance. And one of Germanicus’ grandsons became the Emperor Nero, who was known for burning Christians alive to provide light for his garden.

Two poets who rivaled the powerful

Lucan, William Cullen Bryant

It is the birthday of two poets, one who lived in ancient Rome and the other who lived in 19th century America. Both did their best to rile the Powers That Be with their poetry.

Lucan (39 AD) was a close friend of the emperor Nero but at some point had a falling out with the tyrannical ruler. It is not clear what led to the feud but scholars think that a poem On the Burning of the City, in which Lucan wrote of "unspeakable flames of the criminal tyrant roamed the heights of Remus" might have contributed to the rift.

In any case, historians tell us that Lucan became part of a conspiracy against the emperor and when his treachery was discovered he committed suicide at the age of 25. He slit open a vein and lay bleeding to death, recalling a poem he had written about a wounded soldier who similarly lay dying. He died reciting his poem.

William Cullen Bryant (1794) was never a close friend of President Thomas Jefferson, and, at the age of 13 published a brutally critical poem, The Embargo, which satirized Jeffersonian democracy. The young Bryant was an Alexander Hamilton Federalist.

Bryant lived considerably longer than Lucan, and didn't commit suicide, politics having become a bit more civilized. Bryant served as editor of the New York Evening Post for 50 years, and remained active in politics, supported Andrew Jackson, and became an advocate of the New Soil Party, forerunner of the Republican Party.

Bryant was once known as America's leading poet. His most well known poem is Thanatopsis (1817), which is translated from the Greek as "Meditation Upon Death." He died at age 83 from complications from a fall in New York's Central Park.