Imperial author readings - a dubious pleasure
Even among the later emperors writers were victims of censorship. Historians even lost their lives if, unavoidably, they represented historical figures who had advocated Rome's freedom. Some emperors also paid homage to the muses themselves and publicly presented their works, which became a pain, for the invited listeners had to spend hours showing the utmost emotion - a coughing or even sneezing was considered a disapproval. Nero jumped badly with some who lacked the right understanding of art. There was talk of senators who had slaves with a stretcher to be carried home as fainting. Glimpich proceeded on the following occasion: During a reading of the Emperor Claudius a particularly stout listener crashed down with his bank and aroused an irrepressible laughter, which erupted again and again, especially Claudius, who himself participated, in the course of the speech several times alluded to the incident.
Bathing and reading
In the second century AD, among the adoptive emperors, conditions were more liberal. Trajan built on his big forum not only spas, but also a library. This meant a popularization of the book and the literature, because after the stay in the "adventure pool" one could stroll over to the library, pick up new publications and perhaps listen to a reading - an absolute must if one wrote oneself - the motto was: Are you going to my reading, I come to yours! "I should read you my verses?", Says the poet Martial to a colleague. "I do not feel like it - you do not want to hear mine, but to present yours!" Occasionally some listeners from the auditorium moved into the nearby taverns. A servant informed, if one could see on the manuscript scroll that the lecturer was soon finished. Then one came in as inconspicuously as possible to give rich applause. Some authors played it safe and hired a claque. Everywhere in Rome there were readings, even during the summer holidays, you could not escape them. A friend of the poet Juvenal moved to the countryside, and the satirist showed understanding: "Who can stand it here, with the constant fear of fires, the collapse of houses and other dangers, including the inescapable poetry readings!" But how should the poor Poets would otherwise find a patron and a publisher - Juvenal himself constantly complained of his scanty existence.
Magnificent buildings with loan periods
Not only in Rome, but everywhere in the Roman Empire emerged in the imperial period magnificent libraries. In Athens Emperor Hadrian built a library belonging to the university, in Ephesus donated the rich private citizen Celsus a multi-storey marble building, whose magnificent facade is still one of the sights. These were multi-storey buildings with numerous halls, galleries and walkways, which offered as much space as possible for the books stored in shelves and cupboards. Wall niches invited to comfortable sitting and undisturbed studying. The books were not allowed to be lent home in Athens, but in Rome they were more generous. There were also certain opening times. A well-trained staff provided the new acquisition, supplement and repair of the books. In the writing room the texts arrived with interlibrary loan were copied and extended thereby the stock. As enjoyable as this was for the readers, the author had none of this, because as I said, there was no copyright yet. Of all the countless papyrus scrolls, something has been preserved only by accident, such as in Egypt, where the desert sands preserved some, as the most beautiful find two comedies of Menander. In the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, numerous roles, although well charred, survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. They could be deciphered by modern means: they are writings of the epicurean philosopher Philodem of Gadara, who taught here - in the villa of the Pisonen family.
