You Tube Red Fox Emperors of Rome History Funny
We've all heard of the ancient Roman emperor who made his senator a horse, or the ane who "fiddled while Rome burned." But when it comes to the nuttiness of some of Rome's emperors, that'south the least of it.
Hither's our list of the top five wackiest rulers of the Roman empire. Some might make you giggle… but the ancient Romans nether their dominion certain weren't laughing. (By the way, in that location'southward an exhibit about i of the worst, Emperor Nero, at the Roman forum, Palatine and Colosseum until September xviii. Don't miss it!)
TIBERIUS (ruled fourteen-37 AD)
Why he's wacky: The ultimate "dirty old human being," Tiberius succeeded Augustus, Rome's beginning emperor, only to soon withdraw into his elaborate villa in Capri. Suetonius, the kickoff-century historian, tells united states of america that his life there was nothing curt of depraved: Tiberius had constant orgies, hired young boys and girls to frolic like "Pans and nymphs" in the grottoes, kept an erotic library "in instance a performer should need an illustration of what was required," and even abused infants and toddlers. (Eek.)
Truth-o-meter (0=completely false, 10=definitely true): six. Suetonius loved scandals, but he'southward a more than believable source than other historians, like Tacitus, and he'due south telling the states rumors that were really very pop in Tiberius' time. While Tiberius may not have been quite as depraved as Suetonius makes him out to be, it's safe to say you wouldn't have sent your son to go hang out with Uncle Tiberius for the summertime.
Where to find out more: Few bits of classical history are juicier than Suetonius' Life of Tiberius (in his Lives of the Caesars), which goes into way more than graphic detail than we've written! For those who are really fascinated, the first 6 books of Tacitus' Annals are dedicated to Tiberius' reign, although modern historians are a bit more than skeptical of his accounts.
In Italian republic, you can get closer to Tiberius (if yous dare!) at the Palatine Loma, which withal has the ruins of his palace, or at Capri, where you can see the Villa Jovis, i of his 12 villas on the island.
Yous tin can't say Tiberius, who retired to Capri, didn't take expert taste
CALIGULA (ruled 37-41 Ad)
Why he's wacky: Everyone loved Caligula when he became emperor, seeing him as the youthful, fresh face to follow Tiberius. But it became speedily apparent that Caligula was (oops!) also a delusional megalomaniac: He wandered the palace throughout the night instead of sleeping, flew into public rages, and spoke to the moon and to Jupiter as if they were in confidence. In the all-time-known story, he fabricated his horse a senator, edifice it a stable of marble and inviting people to have dinner with the equus caballus.
Truth-o-meter: 8. About of what we know about Caligula comes from Suetonius, who wrote eighty years after his death, or Cassius Dio, who wrote more than 100 years after that. Still, nearly every source about him, including gimmicky ones, characterizes Caligula as insane. I main source is, over again, Suetonius, whose description of Caligula makes information technology sound like he suffered from a psychotic illness — not too surprising, and something that would have been exacerbated past how everyone else around him had to participate in his delusions at pain of death!
Where to detect out more: Over again, Suetonius' Life of Caligula in the Lives of the Caesars is a good bet. In that location'southward also Cassius Dio's Roman History and the sixth book of Tacitus' Annals.
Caligula was also the forcefulness behind many public works, and the remains of 1 of the most important, the Claudian Aqueduct, tin can be seen near the Caelian and Palatine Hills in central Rome, or in the Parco degli Acquedotti. His other aqueduct, the Acqua Anio Novus, remains part of the Aurelian Wall.
NERO (ruled 54-68 Advertizement)
Why he's wacky: Hither'due south a little groundwork on how Nero treated his loved ones: He divorced his get-go wife, then had her beheaded and brought her head to Rome so his 2d wife could gloat over information technology. He kicked his second married woman, Poppaea, to death when she was pregnant with their second child. When saw a young male child who looked like Poppaea, he married him, forced him to dress as a woman, and had him castrated.
He also killed his own female parent… and there were rumors their human relationship had been much more than mother-son.
Compared to all that, the fact that Nero climbed a stage and sang (non fiddled!) while Rome burned seems near benign. Merely when the toll of rebuilding the city led Nero to farthermost methods, similar having rich men name him every bit their heir and and then forcing them to commit suicide, the people had had it. He was essentially forced to commit suicide. His concluding words: "Oh, what an artist the world is losing!"
Agrippina, Nero'due south female parent, would meet a terrible fate…
Truth-o-meter: 6. The full accounts of his life were written past historians who lived after he died, including Suetonius, Tacitus and Cassius Dio. They were patently biased confronting him. Plus, a lot of those accounts in plough contradict each other. All the same, contemporaries brand passing mention of how much people hated Nero, and the spirit, if non all the details, of his rule is probably right.
Where to find out more than: Over again, check out Suetonius and Tacitus. For a mod business relationship that cuts through the myth and bias, check out Edward Champlin's biography Nero.
One of the most infamous structures that Nero left behind was his Domus Aurea, an enormous palace (some scholars say more than 300 acres!) in central Rome. Today, you can still come across its ruins from afar — although, thanks to recent collapses, information technology's closed to the public — on the Esquiline Hill. In Subiaco, an 60 minutes's bulldoze from Rome, y'all can see the remains of the villa he built to escape Rome's summertime heat.
Through September 18, 2011, y'all likewise can see sculptures and other effects of Nero's reign at the forum, Palatine and Colosseum as part of the special exhibit "Nerone."
COMMODUS (ruled 180-192 Advertisement)
Why he'southward wacky: A complete megalomaniac who even renamed Rome later on himself, Commodus also was obsessed with gladiatorial gainsay. He performed personally in hundreds of games, oftentimes appearing both in and out of the stadium in the guise of Hercules — complete with lion skin and club! He was too said to have had a "conspicuous growth on the groin" that was "the subject of many verses."
Truth-o-meter: 9. Both Dio Cassius and Herodian, the two main sources, lived during Commodus' rule and give bystander accounts of what really occurred under his rule, including the gladiatorial games.
The ruins of the Villa Quintilli, a firm Commodus liked so much, he killed the owners so he could have information technology!
Where to observe out more than: Herodian's History of the Empire from the Expiry of Marcus is pretty colorful, as is Dio Cassius' Roman History. And while it'southward far from historically accurate, the flick Gladiator shows some of Commodus' (played by Joaquin Phoenix) gladiatorial obsession, his troubled relationship with his father and sis, and what Rome would accept looked like in the 2nd century.
Few places are better for getting close to Commodus, or his spirit, than, of course, the Colosseum. On the Appian way, the still-standing Villa of the Quintilli, built by the Quintilli brothers in the 2nd century, was then coveted past Commodus, he put the owners to death in 182 A.D. and took information technology for himself.
ELAGABALUS (ruled 218-222)
Why he's wacky: You probably oasis't heard of Emperor Elagabalus, but that's a shame. Here's why: Born in Syria, he became ruler at but 14. When he came to Rome as emperor, he brought with him his worship for the eastern god Elagabalus — edifice a new temple, making animal sacrifices to the god each morn, and ordering that the god take precedence before all Roman gods, fifty-fifty Jupiter. Nicknamed later on the god, the emperor too had children tortured and sacrificed. And he was infamous for his sexual proclivities: He married a Vestal Virgin, slept with men, cross-dressed, and married a male slave. He fifty-fifty asked doctors to castrate him and give him female organs.
Truth-o-meter: ix. One major account, the Life of Elagabalus, was written virtually 150 years after his reign and largely invented. Merely Cassius Dio and Herodian, who lived during his reign, also mention many of the juicy details, including the emperor'south sexual habits. And their accounts of how he changed Rome's faith are backed up by archaeological findings.
Where to observe out more: Cassius Dio's History of Rome (book 79) and Herodian's' and Herodian's History (volume five) are great, and the Historia Augusta's Life of Elagabalus, while less trustworthy, is full of juicy details.
Little of Elagablus' reign remains — but you lot tin encounter this amphitheatre built by him in Rome today
At Palatine Hill, you lot can yet see the huge temple platform of the temple Elagabalus congenital to his god. The Amphitheatre Castrense, located next to the church of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme and incorporated into the Aurelian walls later in the 3rd century, is also thought to take been built past Elagabalus.
And then… what practise you call up? Which emperor would you least want to exist friends with… or call your ruler? And practise you think our assessments are fair? Let united states know in the comments!
Headed to Rome, and want to know more almost Rome's wacky emperors? Cheque out our Premium Colosseum tour, including the Palatine, Colosseum and Forum!
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Source: https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/art-culture/the-list-of-craziest-ancient-roman-emperors
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