4 ms·

Can you explain the joke? I do not understand it.

• naasking 5y ago
  The 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 ago
    The 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 ago
  The provincial man is basically saying that his father did Augustus' mother.
  • genewitch 5y ago
    I mean the contemporary idiom is Moor concise, but less eloquent
• egberts1 5y ago
  a veiled reference to “Your mother” joke.