All thinkers

Cassius Dio: 2 ideas worth knowing

2 ideas from Cassius Dio, each explained in a minute and credited to the original work. Free on Savvy.

• Nero didn't fiddle while Rome burned — the fiddle wouldn't exist for another 1,500 years

  The violin wasn't invented until the 16th century, so the story is anachronistic on its face. Tacitus, the historian closest in time to the fire of 64 AD, records that Nero was awa…

  — Tacitus, Annals (contemporary source); Suetonius and Cassius Dio (later accounts), Great Fire of Rome

• In 193 AD, the Roman Empire was auctioned off to the highest bidder

  After the Praetorian Guard murdered Emperor Pertinax, they announced the throne would go to whoever paid them the most. The senator Didius Julianus won by promising each guardsman …

  — Cassius Dio, Roman History

Five ideas worth knowing, every week

The week's best cards and a puzzle, credited as always. Free, unsubscribe any time.

Subscribe