Tag Archives: Rome

February 11, 55 CE

On February 11, 55 CE, Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, the rightful heir to the Roman Empire, died of natural causes at the age of almost 14. He was poisoned by his step-brother and current emperor of Rome, Nero. He was involved in the Game of… Continue reading

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February 4, 211 CE

On February 4, 211 CE, Roman Emperor Septimius Severus died and left the Roman Empire to his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, who hated each other. Caracalla and Geta hated each other so much that they would only stay in the same room with each other if… Continue reading

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October 13, 54 CE

On October 13, 54 CE, Roman emperor, Claudius, died from poisoning under mysterious circumstances. During this time of the Roman Empire, an emperor dying of old age in bed would have been the only mystery. It was normal for the… Continue reading

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October 5, 1607

On October 5, 1607 Pope Paul V sent secret assassins to Venice to kill the Venetian statesman and scientist Paolo Sarpi. Why? Was it because he had invented a secret death ray using a huge magnifying glass capable of sinking… Continue reading

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September 29, 61 BCE

On September 29, 61 BCE, Pompey the Great was asked what he wanted for his 45th birthday. He said, “I don’t know, might celebrate beating the Pirates of the Mediterranean first, and then later, take over the campaign against…” Continue reading

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September 15, 668

On September 15, 668 CE, Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II died an ignoble death. While he was taking a bath in his mansion in Syracuse, Sicily, his chamberlain beat him to death with a wooden bucket. Why? It was because the… Continue reading

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April 14, 1611

On April 14, 1611, the Italian scientist and naturalist Prince Federico Cesi help coin the word ‘telescope’ in a letter he wrote to Galileo Galilei. Interesting enough, in the nearby city of Rome, an Italian gatekeeper coined the phrase “Back that ass up,” when he ordered a Venetian merchant to stop trying to drive his … Continue reading

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March 10, 241 BCE

On March 10, 241 BCE, the Romans won the first Punic War by sinking the Carthaginian fleet. Quintus Valerius Falto, the Roman commander watched the final Carthaginian ship sink beneath the Mediterranean waves as he tried to think of a pun or quote to seal the glorious moment. He considered saying, “I’ll be back”, but … Continue reading

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January 10, 49 BCE

On January 10, 49 BCE, Julius Caesar defied the Roman Senate and crossed the Rubicon River with his troops. He is said to have uttered “alea iacta est” which means “the die is cast” and signaled the start of the Roman civil war which he won by defeating all of his opponents by 45 BCE. … Continue reading

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August 27, 410

On August 27, 410 CE, the Visigoths finally ended their sacking of Rome. When questioned, most of the barbarians said that a good sacking of a world-class city is like a bunch of fish. After three days, it just begins to smell (from the dead bodies). They also said after the initial raping, plundering, and … Continue reading

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