Not actually from Valerius Maximus...

[lesbiassparrow]

...but I do like to point out that Julius Caesar could believe batty things as well as the next Roman. For some obscure reason he believed that elks have no joints in their legs. This means that they have to stand all the time, because once they're down they can never get up. As a result they can only sleep standing up - and this is how you catch them. You sneak up on one as its sleeping, knock it over (I guess this is the ancient equivalent of cow-tipping) and it's powerless!

Comments

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

I have no useful response to this, but I do have an elk icon. :-)

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Caesar is probably creeping up on it in the middle of that mist....

[namastenancy.livejournal.com]

The things I never learned in Roman history 101, 202, 303 and 404. I wish I had known all of this; I could have had a field day writing papers on Roman superstitions. Obviously you should be teaching these classes - nobody would look at Roman history the same way. Ever.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I am full of useless trivia about Roman craziness. It's the only way to survive trying to work out exactly who passed what laws and when....

[wistfulmemory.livejournal.com]

*giggles at the cow-tipping reference*

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

All those bored Roman soldiers out there with nothing to do beside tip elks. And kill Gauls.