Is there anyone here who likes to ride horses?
- Caligula talks with his horse: “With all these Roman conspirators, you are the only friend sincere to me. That is why I love you”.
- “From today consider yourself my close friend”.
- The horse shakes his head, to show his acceptance.
- Caligula says to his horse, “from today consider yourself a noble and a senator.
- Tomorrow I will organize a celebration in honor of your new position, my friend.
- But I have a condition, you should be always honest and sincere. Promise me that you will never criticize me.”
- The horse never shook his head (meaning he refused).
- During the senatorial meeting many were surprised when Caligula entered with his horse. Even better, his horse wore a pair of the Emperor’s own clothes. Then came the Emperor’s announcement:
- From today I declare my horse to be a senator. He will vote, and have full rights as all of you. Next came a dinner in the horse’s honor. The horse at the center of the long table of guests with his own plate packed high with hay.
- Caligula told the senators,
- “Listen! It is an honor to eat my horse’s same food. All of you, you should eat it all.
- Now, we feast!”
If you’ve enjoyed this story, and if you love romantic Rome, you’re welcome to join our tours with professional tour guides on site. Imagine visiting the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, the Vatican Museums (including the Sistine Chapel, and the famous Rafael Room) the Basilica of Saint Peter, and Rome’s famous fountains, like the Trevi Fountain. Guided tours, small groups, private tours, and skip-the-line options are all available with our professional and knowledgeable guides. Each one of our guides are hand-picked storytellers, with a profound knowledge of history’s details, strange and funny quirks, and the ancient culture of Rome.
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