Theodora Elucubrare

Fanfan la Tulipe is now officially the best movie ever. It's incredibly well-written, choreographed, and acted, as well as bloody hilarious. And set in eighteenth century France, always a bonus.

Also, Gerard Phillippe is hot, as is Gina Lolabriga, whose name I can't spell.
( Plot summary )

I have come to the conclusion that people before nineteen hundred didn't know anything about the Year of Four Emperors. (Of course, neither do most people after that year.)

For some reason, the Emperor Titus Vespasianus has been invading my reading and listening material. I have La Clemenza di Tito and Bérénéce, who may have the right number of accents in her name, and neither Caterino Mazzolà nor Racine seems to grasp the fact that the Titus Vespasianus that came after Vitellius is not the same Titus Vespasianus who had an illict love affair with Queen Berenice.

I know because I've read far too much Lindsay Davis, but they have no excuse for not knowing.

By the way, the Racine is very good - I think I prefer it to Phèdre in some ways, like actually liking the characters - as is Le gout des autres, in which it is quoted.