• @PugJesusOPM
    link
    English
    333 days ago

    Explanation: When Caesar was a young man, and a relative unknown, just a fellow from a well-known patrician family, he was captured by pirates and held for ransom. When he heard they were asking for a mere 20 talents of silver, he demanded they increase the ransom to 50 talents - over a ton and a half! A man has to know what he’s worth!

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      323 days ago

      The best part is Caesar would threaten to have them crucified all the time and the pirates thought he was joking. So, once the ransom was paid and Caesar was set free, he went about raising a naval force, captured them, and crucified the lot.

      What a joker that Caesar was.

      • @PugJesusOPM
        link
        English
        133 days ago

        Dohohohoho!

        It’s okay. They were pirates. Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them!

    • Track_Shovel
      link
      fedilink
      English
      42 days ago

      I know the story, but not the motivation for the increase in ransom: just vanity?

      • @PugJesusOPM
        link
        English
        72 days ago

        More likely to be prestige. Caesar was, at the time, trying to make a name for himself. Having a high ransom paid for him makes him more notable, which helps his political ambitions.

        Also may have made the pirates more inclined to tolerate his nonsense aboard their ship instead of cutting his throat and throwing him overboard, lmao

        • @whotookkarl
          link
          English
          42 days ago

          Also may just be a story and told that way because it grows the legend of Cesar

    • @OlinOfTheHillPeople
      link
      English
      43 days ago

      Eh. He’d be like a six in New York, but he’s a seven in Scranton.