THE SONG

The Trojans lost a tragic war, Aeneas found Tiber's shore

Latium was the land where King Latinus lent a hand.

Amulius stole the throne, Numitor left his home

Rhea Silvia had twins and claimed that Mars had fathered them.

(interlude)

Romulus built a wall, Remus jumped it and they brawled

Seven fifty three B.C. Romulus became the king

Numa followed with his laws, Tullus tore down Alba's walls

Ancus built Ostia and Tarquin left Etruria.

Chorus

Nero started the Fire

Yeah, we saw him light it and he didn’t fight it

Nero started the Fire

Then he played a ditty while it burned the city

Servius was a slave; Superbus: not their 'fave'

Brutus showed he was no fool, in 509 the consuls ruled

Horatius made his stand, Mucius burned his hand

Coriolanus marched on Rome but Mom turned him away from home

Veientians tricked Fabians, Minucius tricked by Aequians

Cincinnatus saved the day and forced them under yoke to pay

Three ninety the Gauls invade, Geese alert them of the raid

Brennus told them "Vae, victīs!” Camillus brought him to his knees.

(Chorus)

Curtius jumped in a hole, Torquatus beat a giant Gaul

In 312 Appius constructs a famous road and aqueduct.

Pyrrhus fought with elephants, Cineas with eloquence,

Two hundred sixty four B.C., Carthage fought for Sicily

Two eighteen brought Hannibal who swore that Rome would finally fall.

Trasimenus and Cannae: 100,000 Romans die.

Elder Cato's constant quest: “Carthago delenda est!”

In one four six this goal is met: "Aemilius ends Punic threat!"

(Chorus)

Cornelia showed off her jewels: Gracchi boys fought noble rule

Marius consul seven times, Sulla's lists stretched to the Rhine

Pompey destroyed pirate bands and mastered all the Asian lands.

Crassus, Caesar, and he met to form the first triumvirate.

Caesar conquered all of Gaul, Vercingetorix and all.

"Alea iacta est," said Caesar that the die’s been cast,

Portia and Calpurnia, Brutus, Cassius, and Casca,

Veni vidi vici, he died in 44 B.C.

(Chorus)

Marcus Tullius Cicero thwarted Rome's overthrow

He denounced Catiline and wrote against the Antonines.

At Actium on the sea Octavian beat Antony

In 27 he became a king in everything but name.

Horace, Vergil, Varius, Ovid, Titus Livius

Maecenas supported them: A Golden Age for Roman pens!

Augustus took a city brick and left it under marble thick,

Tiberius settled on Capri to satisfy his gluttony.

(Chorus)

Caligula means “little boots”, Claudius spoke like a brute,

Nero killed Britannicus, Locusta helped accomplish this,

Agrippina, Seneca, Spain supported Galba,

Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian the fourth on the list.

Dynasty of Flavians: Titus and Domitian,

Colosseum, Pompeii, Vesuvius, Herculaneum,

Nerva was an old man, Trajan beat the Dacians,

Hadrian built a Mole now known as Castle Angelo.

(Chorus)

Antoninus Pius, Faustina a goddess,

Marcus Aurelius was nobler than all the rest.

Severan dynasty, Diocletian Tetrarchy,

Split the empire, East and West, Christians placed under arrest

A sign above the Milvian bridge, Constantine made a pledge

To change the eagle for the cross and then defeat Maxentius

Move the Roman Capitol, call it Constantinople,

Julian Apostate sought to end the Christian state.

(Chorus)

West to Valentinian, East to brother Valens,

Gratian killed by Maximus who stole the empire of the West.

Theodosius from the East, Maximus killed like a beast,

The Goths attack with Alaric, the Vandals under Genseric.

Fifty years of defense, empire suffers impotence,

Romulus Augustulus, a noble name for such a wuss,

Odoacer took his throne, Romans get a tombstone,

476 ends our quest: Good Bye Empire of the West!

(Chorus)