Heliogabalus (A Buffoonery in Three Acts)

Heliogabalus (A Buffoonery in Three Acts) (1920)
Henry Louis Mencken and George Jean Nathan
2246676Heliogabalus (A Buffoonery in Three Acts)1920Henry Louis Mencken and George Jean Nathan

HELIOGABALUS

OF THIS BOOK TWO THOUSAND COPIES HAVE BEEN PRINTED FROM TYPE AND THE TYPE DISTRIBUTED.

THIS IS NUMBER 47

HELIOGABALUS

A BUFFOONERY IN THREE ACTS

by H. L. Mencken and
George Jean Nathan

Alfred A. Knopf Borzoi

NEW YORKALFRED • A • KNOPFMCMXX

COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY

H. L. MENCKEN and
GEORGE JEAN NATHAN

All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the Scandinavian.

In its present form this play is dedicated to the reading public only, and no performances of it may be given without the permission of the authors who may be addressed in care of the publisher. Any piracy or infringement will be prosecuted in accordance with the penalties provided by the United States Statutes:—

Sec. 4966.—Any person publicly performing or representing any dramatic or musical composition, for which copyright has been obtained, without the consent of the proprietor of the said dramatic or musical composition, or his heirs or assigns, shall be liable for damages therefor, such damages in all cases to be assessed at such sum, not less than one hundred dollars for the first and fifty dollars for every subsequent performance, as to the Court shall appear to be just. If the unlawful performance and representation be wilful and for profit, such person or persons shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction be imprisoned for a period not exceeding one year.—U. S. Revised Statutes, Title 60, Chap. 3.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ


VARIUS AVITUS BASSIANUS HELIOGABALUS:
Emperor of Rome.
PAULA:
His senior wife.

ANNIA FAUSTINA:
CAELESTIS:
AQUILIA SEVERA:
ALINIA:
DACIA:

Junior wives.
LUCIA THE GALATIAN:
A Christian maiden.
SIMON OF CAPPADOCIA:
A Christian clergyman.
CAIUS MACRINUS:
Commander of the Western fleet.
POLORUS:
A physician.
PISO:
A physician.
RUFINIUS:
Major-domo to HELIOGABALUS.
HECATUS:
A Greek.
CORNELIA METELLI:
A public woman.
LUCIUS MACEDONICUS:
A pickpocket.


Army Officers, Imperial Guards, Additional Wives of the Emperor, Dancing Girls, Slaves, etc.

ACT I: The atrium in the imperial palace. The night before New Year's Day, A.D. 221.
ACT II: The imperial bed-chamber. Toward the middle of the year 221.
ACT III: Antechamber and banquet hall in the palace. The evening of the following day.

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.


The longest-living author of this work died in 1958, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 65 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

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