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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.
As we read in the message Pliny the Elder, the Egyptian Nile River gives birth to large creatures, among whom he lists hippos. According to the Roman researcher, the skin of the animal is very durable and is used to create shields and helmets. However, when the skin is properly soaked, its durability decreases.
The reign of Tiberius (14-37 CE) was for ordinary people in the provinces a period of peace and good state management, but for the spheres of the Roman aristocracy, a time of increasing tyranny and terror. This was largely due to the influence at the Roman court achieved by Sejanus – the praetorian prefect – who sought to seize power and surrounded himself with trusted people.
Cassius Dio has left a message that King Abgarus, who ruled in the small country of Osroene on the Euphrates, tried at all costs to remain neutral during the invasion of Trajan’s Roman troops on the Parthia. In order not to offend any of the parties and in the future not to worry about the fate of the kingdom, he decided to use his secret “weapon”.
Emperor Vitellius was perhaps one of Rome’s most obese rulers. He feasted all the time. He ate at least three times a day. He often vomited so that he could eat more and more.
Emperor Caligula made many bizarre decisions during his reign. Certainly one of them was declaring war on the god of the sea, Poseidon. He ordered his soldiers to go to the beach and stab the sea and waves with their swords and throw spears at them.
Gaius Fabricius, in Roman transmissions, was an example of an incorruptible politician and an extremely honourable and brave man. This is evidenced by the history of the war with Pyrrhus (282-272 BCE).
Trajan was one of the most respected Roman emperors. Over the centuries, it was believed that the conqueror-emperor showed extraordinary rule of law, and he made decisions based on the opinion of his closest council of advisers. Until our times, the probably imaginary, although widespread and popular in the Middle Ages story about the meeting of the emperor with a mourning woman has survived.
Although Emperor Octavian Augustus appears to be a descendant of the first and one of the greatest emperors of the Roman Empire, it should be remembered that he gained power by force.
According to Plutarch, the queen of Cleopatra VII after the defeat at Actium in 31 BCE for several months she picked up strong poisons, the effectiveness and degree of pain of which she checked on prisoners.
Plutarch mentions a story about a senator whose wife questioned him about what the Senate was debating on. To silence his curious wife, the senator replied that the congregation was considering whether the appearance of a lark in the sky with a golden helmet and a spear was a good or bad omen. By the way, he asked his wife to keep a secret when he left the house.
