Ancient Fun Facts

In the second century A.D., the fourteen-year-old emperor of Rome, Elagabalus, was reported to be a complete psychopath. One story tells how he enjoyed having broken glass mixed into his guest’s food that he would make them eat, once he fed a party camel heels, nightingale tongues, parrot heads, and flamingo brains, only to release live lions and leopards into their room. At a separate feast, he ordered some guests to be tied to a spinning water wheel and ordered everyone else to watch as they drowned. Once at a packed gladiatorial game, he released venomous snakes loose among the packed crowd (Madman’s Library p.188)

Animals

Ancient Fun Facts

Steve Irwin and Charles Darwin owned the same pet tortoise, Harriet (Australia Zoo).

Art History

Da Vinci’s The Last Supper is in a terrible state and always has been. Its deterioration was noted soon after completion. By using paints of an ephemeral nature on a thin exterior wall, humidity rapidly ravaged the masterpiece. Like the ship of Theseus, just 42.5% of the painting is da Vinci’s work, 17.5% is lost, and the remaining 40% is the work of restorers (Madman’s Gallery p.61).

Death

Vol. 1

Death Vol. 1

Human Cannonballs killed half of the stunt people who attempted (Final Exits p. 19).

American History

Vol. 1

American History Vol. 1

Alexander Hamilton had been successful in 14 previous duels before dying by Burr’s gun (Final Exits p.05).

Gross

Vol. 1

Gross Vol. 1

The average ER performs twenty small-animal-from-anus removals yearly (Final Exits p.146).

The Curio Cabinet

Ancient Fun Facts