I’d Love To Read About: Ancient Bad Decisions

Have you ever learned a strange fact or seen an unusual thing and thought, I wish there were more books about that? It happens to me all the time. Authors, if you’re listening, here are four ancient bad decisions that I wish somebody would write about. (Or take inspiration from. I’m not picky!) 

I’d Love To Read About . . .

Bad-Decision Pets

Crocodiles as pets in Egypt.
Pets in ancient Egypt.

In ancient Egypt, Nile Crocodiles were fashionable pets. The Nile Crocodile is the second-largest living reptile. They can grow to 16 feet (5 m) long and weigh 1600 pounds (750 kg). Ancient Egyptians would decorate their crocodiles with jewels and let them roam freely around their homes and temples. Crocodiles may have been popular pets because the Egyptian creator god, Sobek, has a crocodile head. The crocodiles in Sobek’s temple were actually better fed and cared for than many Egyptian humans. Luckily for the Egyptians, the pet-crocodile fad only lasted a few years. Probably because giving a giant predator free reign of your house will end badly for somebody.

Bad-Decision Chemicals

About Qin Shi Huang.

The ancient Chinese believed that you could achieve immortality if you swallowed enough mercury. Unfortunately, that isn’t true. Swallowing large amounts of mercury will cause death. This may be what happened to China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. He took mercury pills for years and died at age 39. Qin Shi Huang’s interest in mercury didn’t stop with his death. Scientists know the location of his tomb, but one of the (many) reasons why it hasn’t been fully excavated is because the soil contains high levels of mercury. According to legend, the emperor’s body is surrounded by moats of liquid mercury. Most scientists aren’t eager to mess with that. Exposure to high levels of mercury can cause brain troubles and make your skin fall off.

Bad-Decision Entertainment

About myth reenactments.

Ancient Rome was a terrible place to get arrested. The rulers were not kind to their prisoners. Executions were considered entertainment, and the Romans were excellent at finding the most humiliating ways to murder prisoners. One of those humiliating executions was the ludi meridiani (midday spectacle). Prisoners were forced to perform myths to entertain the public. The only part of the performance that was not an act was the deaths. The actors were killed on stage by animals or by other actors. Yeah. I’m glad that theater has changed in modern times . . . .  

Bad-Decision Vacation

About the Gate to Hell.

In Southwestern Turkey, there was a town called Hierapolis, which contained a well-known spa and healing center. Most people went to Hierapolis to visit doctors and swim in the thermal springs, but that wasn’t the only attraction in the city. Hierapolis also contained the Gate to Hell. The gate was a natural cave. Priests would lead livestock into the cave, where the animals would quickly collapse and die (while curious spectators watched, of course). The priests would leave the cave unharmed. Why did the animals die? Ancient people didn’t know this, but the cave is situated above a volcanic vent that spews carbon dioxide. Since carbon dioxide is heavier than air, most of it pooled on the cave floor. Sheep and goats are short, so they suffocated while the tall humans survived.   

Is there an ancient culture that you’d like to read about?