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> A provincial man has come to Rome, and walking on the streets was drawing everyone's attention, as he was a real double of the emperor Augustus. The emperor,
by HarHarVeryFunny 5y ago
> A provincial man has come to Rome, and walking on the streets was drawing everyone's attention, as he was a real double of the emperor Augustus. The emperor, having brought him to the palace, looks at him and then asks: "Tell me, young man, did your mother come to Rome anytime?" The reply was: "She never did. But my father frequently was here."
Solid burn. Being based on the emperor not only sets the joke up (being someone well recognized), but make the comeback sharper/funnier.
- quacked 5y agoCan you explain the joke? I do not understand it.
- naasking 5y agoThe joke is that they probably have the same father and the emperor's mother wasn't faithful, basically the reverse of what the emperor was implying.
- bbarnett 5y agoThe joke goes further than that. This implies that the emperor may not be heir to the throne. Or, may not be 'high born'. This was 2000-2500 years ago, perhaps. Legitimacy came from the male in these times. So, having a shared father means nothing bad for the emperor. Having a shared mother means his title, his lands, his bloodline may be entirely false, and thus, his legitimacy. (Even if the emperor rose and claimed his place by blood/conflict, the above all still counts in many ways.)
- Digit-Al 5y agoThe provincial man is basically saying that his father did Augustus' mother.
- genewitch 5y agoI mean the contemporary idiom is Moor concise, but less eloquent
- egberts1 5y agoa veiled reference to “Your mother” joke.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]