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Ancient stories are curiosities revealing lesser-known, surprising, or unusual episodes from the world of ancient Rome and antiquity. This category includes short stories about events, people, and situations that don’t always make it into classical works, yet allow for a better understanding of the realities and mentality of the era.
Two ministers of Emperor Claudius (ruled 41-54 CE), his freedmen Pallas and Narcissus, made huge fortunes from their offices. Claudius was known for his trust in his freedmen, who often decided the country’s politics and palace intrigues.
Marcus Licinius Crassus (114-53 BCE) was killed shortly after the battle of Carrhae (53 BCE) by the Parthians who, according to Roman tradition, poured liquid gold into his throat. Mocking the rich man, he was asked how he liked it. Crassus’s head was then beheaded and sent to the Great Parthian King – Orodes II – to Seleucia on the Tigris.
Galba (3 BCE – 69 CE) became famous as one of the “four emperors of 69 CE” who assumed power in Rome after his death Nero. For the first half of Nero’s reign, he retired until 61 CE. Later, the ruler of Rome commissioned him to lead the province of Hispania Tarraconensis, where he “governed the provinces in a variable and capricious manner,” as Suetonius told us. However, what is worth emphasizing, he was extremely strict in his rule.
