Curiosities of ancient Rome (Ancient stories)
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Caligula and exile
When the Roman emperor Caligula asked one of the exiles, what he was doing in exile, he replied that all this time he had prayed for death of Tiberius and ascending the throne of Caligula. The Emperor, after a moment ... Read more
Problem of Caligula
Suetonius indicates that the emperor Caligula was heavily mentally unbalanced. Apparently, the ruler was very worried about the fact that under his rule there was no great tragedy that would have gone down in history. Under the rule of his ... Read more
Earthquake during battle
During the battle of Lake Trasimeno, a strong earthquake took place. As mentioned by Livy, the Romans and Carthaginians who were fighting at that time were so absorbed in the fight, that they did not even feel the trembling of ... Read more
Nero talker
When Nero was a boy his favorite topic for conversations were chariot races in Circus; though he did so against the teacher’s prohibition. Once, Nero complained to another student that the driver of the Greens was dragged by a chariot ... Read more
Caligula and cheering
Caligula was famous – according to ancient sources – for his unstable behavior. I.e. when during the games the crowd supported another team than the Emperor Caligula, he was supposed to say: “Would that the Roman people had but one ... Read more
Nero charioteer
Nero often participated in the Olympic Games as a charioteer. During one of them he even carried a chariot drawn by ten horses. It did not matter to him that earlier he had criticized king Mithridates for exactly the same, ... Read more
Gaius Mucius Scaevola – hero of Romans
Gaius Mucius Scaevola was a hero of the Romans, who became famous for his courage. Probably this story, which comes from the work of Livy, is just a legend. The story begins in the year 508 BCE, when Rome was ... Read more
Pension of Diocletian
Diocletian who introduced the principle of the rule of tetrarchy ruled in 284-305 CE. He remained in charge until he was confident enough to abdicate; then he ordered his aide Maximian to do likewise. Diocletian began the life of an ... Read more
Nero exercises
Neron, as a true music lover and singer, not wanting to lose his great voice did not give up any exercises that professional singers did. Exercises used by him are: lying on the back with flat pieces of lead on ... Read more
Roman story about ghost from letters of Pliny the Younger
Pliny the Younger – Roman writer and politician from the first and second century CE – in one of his letters, describes an amazing story about the ghost to a man named Licinius Sura. This is an amazing antique story ... Read more
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