{"id":3292,"date":"2014-08-07T01:06:07","date_gmt":"2014-08-07T01:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/?p=3292"},"modified":"2014-08-07T01:06:07","modified_gmt":"2014-08-07T01:06:07","slug":"the-oddest-weirdest-pets-of-ancient-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/the-oddest-weirdest-pets-of-ancient-rome\/","title":{"rendered":"The Oddest &amp; Weirdest Pets of Ancient Rome"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The bond between humans and pets is an interesting and odd bond. The love and\u00a0friendship that transgress species is an interesting relationship that deserves special attention. Most of us are familiar with the ever persisting sites that our friends show us the most unlikely of friends. These examples range from dogs and chimps, tigers and pigs, cats and birds, and so on. I am hopeful that this post will show that these odd and weird bond existed even in Ancient Rome between man and beast.\u00a0 The order is from the least odd to the most bizarre (in my opinion).<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3298\" style=\"width: 189px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter post-item__attachment\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2014\/08\/Flickr_-_Rainbirder_-_High-rise_living.jpg\" aria-label=\"Flickr   Rainbirder   High Rise Living 179x300\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3298\" class=\"wp-image-3298 size-medium\"  alt=\"Courtesy of WikiCommons, Boing-Boing, and Steve Garvie.\" width=\"179\" height=\"300\" \/ src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2014\/08\/Flickr_-_Rainbirder_-_High-rise_living-179x300.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3298\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Courtesy of WikiCommons, Boing-Boing, and Steve Garvie.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Historical Person:<\/span> Julius Caesar<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Pet:<\/span> Giraffe<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Name<\/span>: He didn&#8217;t even bother&#8230;. ( I assume)<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Love:<\/span> 3 out of 10 hearts.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Why:<\/span> In 48 BC, Julius Caesar embarked on a campaign where he eventually\u00a0started his affair\u00a0with Queen Cleopatra. Before leaving her, he decided to bring back a sundry of exotic beasts including lions, panthers and green monkeys. The most strange one\u00a0was\u00a0long-necked creature known as\u00a0a giraffe. The Romans saw it as half camel and half panther (due to its spots). Perhaps he brought the beast back to remind him of Cleopatra or perhaps he simply liked it.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Habits:<\/span> The historian Pliny thought\u00a0the giraffe\u00a0was a\u00a0\u201cwild sheep.\u201d Whatever the case, Caesar soon grew bored with his &#8220;pet.&#8221; He fed the giraffe to the lions in a Coliseum in front of a baying Roman public; his gesture (offering up his pet as a\u00a0prize) may have been\u00a0a sign of his wealth and magnanimity. This is somewhat sad though.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Sources:<\/span> Pliny, Strabo<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nero - John Simm (Caligula Introduces Senator Incitatus)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2J6-t2mtNtU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Historical Person<\/span>: Caligula<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Pet<\/span>: Horse<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Name:<\/span> Incitatus<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Love: <\/span> 6 out of 10 hearts<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Why<\/span>:\u00a0 There is much speculation amongst historians as to why Calgula prized his pet horse so much. While it should be stated that his horse was a race horse- perhaps its victory and magnificence were contributors to Caligula&#8217;s fondness for it. Or perhaps, he liked the horse for its ability to ridicule and embarrassed his subjects. I am afraid we will never know for sure.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Habits<\/span>: \u00a0Incitatus had a stable of marble, an ivory manger, purple blankets, and a collar of precious stones. Dio Cassius has indicated that the horse had its own servants, and was fed\u00a0food mixed with gold flake. How wasteful! \u00a0Suetonius also wrote that it was said that Caligula planned to make Incitatus a consul. Furthermore, the horse\u00a0 &#8220;invite&#8221; dignitaries to dine with him in a house outfitted with servants there to entertain such events.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Sources:<\/span> Suetonius, Cassius Dio<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3282\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter post-item__attachment\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2014\/07\/Napoli-museomosaico2.jpg\" aria-label=\"Napoli Museomosaico2 300x297\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3282\" class=\"wp-image-3282\"  alt=\"An array of creatures that may have been found in a &quot;piscine.&quot; Sea creatures mosaic ( Attention to the Eel near the right bottom corner) from Pompeii; National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy. Courtesy of WikiCommons &amp; Massimo Finizio.\" width=\"500\" height=\"497\" \/ src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2014\/07\/Napoli-museomosaico2-300x297.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3282\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">An array of creatures that may have been found in a &#8220;piscine.&#8221; Sea creatures mosaic ( Attention to the Eel near the right bottom corner) from Pompeii; National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy. Courtesy of WikiCommons &amp; Massimo Finizio.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Historical Person(s):\u00a0<\/span>Quintus Hortensius\u00a0(Famous Orator), Antonia (Daughter of Marc Antony, Niece of Augustus and Mother of Emperor Claudius) , Crassus (either Marcus Licinius Crassus [defeated Spartacus] or Lucius Licinius Crassus [orator and censor in 92 BC].<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Pet<\/span>: Eels or\u00a0 Murena<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Names:<\/span> Unrecorded<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Love:<\/span> 8 out of 10 hearts<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Why:<\/span> Probably initially raised for food (as was the case for Gaius Hirrius, the first person to have ponds solely for raising eels, supplied six thousand to Caesar for his triumphal banquets); their evolution to beloved pets must have been gradual and somewhat of an acquired taste.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Habits:<\/span> The orator, Quintus Hortensius, is said to have wept when his favorite <i>murena<\/i> died. Another pet <i>murena<\/i>, kept there by Antonia, the niece of Augustus, was adorned with earrings, which prompted some to visit and see the oddity. Crassus, too, was said to have adorned a pet eel with earrings and small necklaces &#8220;just like some lovely maiden,&#8221; training it to respond to its name and swimming up to eat what was offered.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Sources:<\/span> Aelian, Plutarch, Macrobius, Varro<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3299\" style=\"width: 160px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter post-item__attachment\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2014\/08\/Vergilius.jpg\" aria-label=\"Vergilius\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3299\" class=\"wp-image-3299 size-full\"  alt=\"Depiction of Virgil, 3rd century AD .Courtesy of WikiCommons, Giorces, Mattes.\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" \/ src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2014\/08\/Vergilius.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3299\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Depiction of Virgil, 3rd century AD<br \/> .Courtesy of WikiCommons, Giorces, Mattes.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Historical Person<\/span>: Virgil<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Pet<\/span>: House Fly<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Name: <\/span> I don&#8217;t believe it was named.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Love:<\/span> 9 out of 10 Hearts (Virgil must have surely loved it!)<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Why:<\/span> In reality, Virgil didn\u2019t keep a fly as a pet, but conveniently found one to be his pet.\u00a0This is due to the fact that he\u00a0discovered that the government was planning to confiscate the lands of the rich (i.e: his lands too!), and give them to war veterans, except for those lands that contained mausoleums. So Virgil the clever poet he was had an\u00a0idea.\u00a0Virgil held an incredibly lavish funeral (with mourners, an orchestra, invited celebrities and lots of poetry reading) organized for &#8220;pet.&#8221; Then, the poor\u00a0insect\u2019s body was buried in an expensive mausoleum. The whole thing costed Virgil about 800.000 sesterces ( approx. $1.6 million).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Habits:<\/span>\u00a0I assume if one had a pet fly-\u00a0buzzing around your ears and eating garbage would be part of their habits. However, it would seem as if this doesn&#8217;t matter in the case of Virgil.\u00a0Humorously it said that Virgil coined\u00a0 the expression \u201ctime flies\u201d (tempus fugit).<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Sources:<\/span> Suetonius<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>HONORABLE MENTION<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_3300\" style=\"width: 201px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter post-item__attachment\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2014\/08\/Tigress_at_Jim_Corbett_National_Park.jpg\" aria-label=\"Tigress At Jim Corbett National Park 191x300\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3300\" class=\"wp-image-3300 size-medium\"  alt=\"Tigress. Courtesy of WikiCommons, Sumeet Moghe, Chiswick Chap.\" width=\"191\" height=\"300\" \/ src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2014\/08\/Tigress_at_Jim_Corbett_National_Park-191x300.jpg\"><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-3300\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tigress. Courtesy of WikiCommons, Sumeet Moghe, Chiswick Chap.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Pet:<\/span> Tigress<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Name<\/span>: Phoebe<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Why:<\/span>\u00a0 It is said that Nero first saw her fighting\u00a0 in\u00a0a Colloseum, where he was impressed by her ruthlessness. For she was said to cause more havoc than three other tigers combined. Thus, Nero decided to spare\u00a0her life and keep her as his personal companion. He named her Phoebe.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Habits:<\/span> He had his servants build a golden cage for her in the palace grounds, but she wasn\u2019t locked up all the time. \u00a0She was allowed to roman around and even\u00a0 when the Emperor had guest\u00a0at\u00a0his table! Of course, anyone who annoyed or irritated Nero in any way would end up as Phoebe\u2019s dessert. It is also said that she was trained by a famous animal trainer which allowed Nero to eat from her hand!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Sources: <\/span> None that I could find; thus this is a honorable mention.<\/p>\n<p>=<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<img width=\"224\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2014\/08\/Tigress_at_Jim_Corbett_National_Park-224x350.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image tmp-hide-img\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2014\/08\/Tigress_at_Jim_Corbett_National_Park-224x350.jpg 224w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2014\/08\/Tigress_at_Jim_Corbett_National_Park.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px\" \/><p>The bond between humans and pets is an interesting and odd bond. The love and\u00a0friendship that transgress species is an interesting relationship that deserves special attention. Most of us are familiar with the ever persisting sites that our friends show us the most unlikely of friends. These examples range from dogs and chimps, tigers&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/the-oddest-weirdest-pets-of-ancient-rome\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":101,"featured_media":3300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3691,60854],"tags":[235614,60850,3754,235607,235474,60869],"class_list":["post-3292","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latin-language","category-roman-culture","tag-ancient-rome","tag-classic-culture","tag-latin-vocabulary","tag-nero","tag-roman-emprerors","tag-roman-history"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/101"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3292"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3302,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3292\/revisions\/3302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3300"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/latin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}