Online Casino Players.com

Home / History / Gaming among the ancient Roman emperors
Volume I Volume II

The Gaming Table by Andrew Steinmetz

I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI | XII | XIII | XIV

GAMING AMONG THE ANCIENT ROMAN EMPERORS

CHAPTER IV. page 3

The passion of gambling was transmitted, with the empire, to the
family of the Caesars. At the gaming table Caligula stooped
even to falsehood and perjury. It was whilst gambling that
he conceived his most diabolical projects; when the game was
against him he would quit the table abruptly, and then, monster
as he was, satiated with rapine, would roam about his palace
venting his displeasure.

One day, in such a humour, he caught a glimpse of two Roman
knights; he had them arrested and confiscated their property.
Then returning to the gaming table, he exultingly exclaimed that
he had never made a better throw![31] On another occasion, after
having condemned to death several Gauls of great opulence, he
immediately went back to his gambling companions and said:--`I
pity you when I see you lose a few sestertii, whilst, with a
stroke of the pen, I have just won six hundred millions.'[32]

[31] Exultans rediit, gloriansque se nunquam prosperiore
alea usum. Suet. in _Vita Calig_.

[32] Thirty millions of pounds sterling. The sestertius
was worth 1_s_. 3 3/4_d_.

Page   1   2   3   4   5   6