 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group Who Was Macro? Major Keary |
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A certain up-market word processing package makes much of its macro facility - in the days of CP/M it was called Special Function Keys, and in ordinary English it means no more than a definition.
Legend has it that the name of the city of Ur will hang on the lips of mankind for ever. Hence the curse of "er, er, er ..." which is carried by most politicians and inept public speakers. There was, no doubt, a sister city, Um, yet to be excavated by archaeologists.
Macro's name, after some 2,000 years, has come to haunt computer users. It is, therefore, fitting that we know whose ghost has come to stalk through the jargon of computer-speak
In the first century AD the Roman Emperor Tiberius depended for his power largely on the Praetorian Guard. As Tiberius lost his health (and his sanity), the commander of the Praetorians, Sejanus, became the de facto ruler of Rome. Tiberius decided to do something about that and, with the assistance of Macro, turned rooster Sejanus into a feather duster within a period of twelve hours. And all done according to the laws of Rome. Macro, as his reward, replaced Sejanus as commander of the Praetorian Guard.
Some time after that Tiberius officiated at some kind of games and tried his hand at throwing a javelin. The effort was all too much and shortly afterwards he fell into a coma The physicians declared his death was imminent and the Senate decided to elect Caligula as emperor.
Just as they were saying, "The Emperor is dead, long live the Emperor", old Tiberius sat up in bed, complaining about being hungry. The senators, and Caligula, fled in fright. Only Macro remained cool; he put Tiberius down by smothering him with some blankets. The new emperor was pleased to have such a handy fellow, and so Macro's influence increased further.
By AD 37, as Tacitus relates in his Annals, "The influence of Macro had become supreme".
Reminds one of recent political events; déjà vu, as they say in French. Who knows, in time to come the buzz-word folk will come up with a bob or paul, or even an andrew.
Anyhow, next time someone is spouting macro, give a thought to the fate of Tiberius.
Reprinted from the March 1992 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
