A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome

by Emma Southon

Tiberius’ brother Gaius was an absolute riot, said to be the first person in Roman history to pull his cloak open and expose his shoulder while speaking, which is both pointless and a bit sexy.

The Greek historian Appian, writing many centuries later after the winners had been conclusively declared, outlines the complaints of the rich alongside the complaints of the poor and suggests that they are equal, which makes for some fun reading. Appian tells us that the rich were hugely upset that the land that they had worked very hard on, and dedicated many enslaved people to, was going to be stolen from them so they’d lose all their work. Also, some of them had bought that land fairly from neighbours after the neighbours stole it from the state and people of Rome, so they were definitely being treated unfairly. Others had inherited their stolen land from their parents or had received it in dowries and yet more had taken out loans against the stolen land – and what were they supposed to do?! Their prestige and inheritances were being cruelly attacked and they were weeping into their cups.

In the same way that the members of the House of Lords are not the people analysing football tactics in the papers, the senators and imperial servants of Rome were not writing gladiator journalism.

Gaius also used to wait until Chaerea was just at the point of no return when kissing his hand in greeting and then do an obscene gesture so Chaerea was forced to kiss his rude hand shape.