Unwelcome

Politicians and celebrities often give friends and family members cushy roles within their organizations as a favor, but not only can it be unethical and immoral, it can also lead to some bizarre situations for everyone involved. By a d Rome had finally gotten rid of its hate Emperor Tiberius Caesar Augustus. Installed in his palace was his grand nephew, Guius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. However, history would come to know

him by his nickname Caligula. Though Caligula had been seen as a savior to the people of Rome following Tiberius's reign, their hopes were quickly dashed. Their new emperor was impetuous and power hungry. When he saw something or some one that he wanted. He took it, and he killed without question. After he was poisoned and nearly killed during his first year, Caligula purged his inner circle of any one he suspected who might have played a part in his case. That

was almost everyone. Those who were murdered were exiled, and he dispatched anyone he considered a threat to his position, and that included family members such as his cousin, his father in law, and his brother in law. Aside from his general paranoia, Caligula also thought highly of himself, more so than other of his predecessors. After a few years as emperor, he made his feelings quite known regarding his

place in the universe. He considered himself a god and began addressing the public, dressing clothing reminiscent of Hercules and Apollo, among others. Even official documents had him listed as Jupiter Latieris rather than his own name. Temples were constructed in his honor, as were statues of gold to be worshiped by his adoring subjects. Although he was a bit flexible in his divine identity, he often shrugged off one persona

like Jupiter to take on another. Such as Neptune. One minute he would be parading around with a trident, and the next he was trading it in for Venus's gowns. One thing was consistent, though Caligula tolerated no other gods in Rome. Any statues of Mercury, Juno, or Diana were decapitated, leaving only the statues modeled after himself with their heads intact.

He believed himself so far above the people he had a bridge built to take him from his palace to the temple of Jupiter, so that he didn't have to walk through the public square of the Roman Forum. Although he only reigned for four years, Caligula managed to squeeze a lot of other strange behaviors into that short time, like when he and his army waged war on the sea. He marched his soldiers to the coast of northern France, ready to do battle against an unbeatable enemy, only to

have them fill their tunics and helmets with seashells. Caligula called them the spoils of the sea. After they collected enough, he and his men returned to Rome and through a parade for themselves to commemorate their um victory. It's no wonder that many people, from those closest to him to modern day historians, believed the emperor to be unwell. Those who knew him used to see him wide awake at

night talking to the moon. It was clear that he needed a friend, someone he could trust without worrying they were going to try and take his place, and he found that confidant in in Catatas. In Tatas had been there for Caligula when he needed him most, and so he treated him much better than almost anyone else in the emperor's circle. He lived in a house made of

ivory and slept beneath lush, purple blankets. He wore expensive jewels when he went out in public, and attended dinner parties thrown in his honor, all of which were paid for by his rich and powerful comrade Caligula. In return, Incatatas would perform magnificent feats of athleticism for his friend's amusements. Eventually, however, it got to the point where Caligula wanted to do more for his pal and to have someone he could trust in charge. So he drafted a plan to make

Incantatas a console. Unfortunately, for both of them, there were two big hurdles preventing such a thing from happening. First, the emperor was assassinated before Incatatas could be appointed, and second, Inca Tatas was a pretty unorthodox choice for the Roman Senate. It's because he wasn't even human. He was a horse. Aaron was born into a pretty poor family, although that's not an extraordinary beginning. In fact, it's far too common even today, but in in Mississippi that meant living with

some pretty rough conditions. His father really did try to provide for the family, but he was just a day laborer, and oftentimes the work would dry up. When that happened, word would spread and the community around them would step up and help out. A cooked meal, a warm coat, things that mattered from people who cared for someone in need. When Aaron was fairly young, the family went through another

of those rough patches. As a result, they had to move around a bit by They were in Tennessee in a rough neighborhood, which meant that he was quickly known as the poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks. It seems that then, just like today, where you lived said a lot about who you were, even when that message was wrong. Of course, Aaron had friends who were better off. One of them was a boy named Jimmy

who lived in a much nicer part of town. At school, they had a lot of laughs and enjoyed each other's company. Kids have fewer prejudices and it showed in their friendship. But Jimmy's mother didn't care for the neighborhood where Aaron's family lived, so she made it clear to her son that the poor boy was never allowed in their house. After all, he might steal something. Right, well, it happened one day in nineteen fifty that Jimmy had some relatives

come to stay for a while at their house. His uncle, a Lonzo Green, was a country singer, and to Jimmy it was like welcoming royalty into the house. He beamed with pride and couldn't help but tell all of his friends about it, and that included Aaron, which prompted a request. You see, Aaron had somehow come into possession of a guitar, but he had no idea how to tune it, so, knowing Jimmy's uncle as a musician, he pressured the friend to go home and ask if he could visit, just

to get help with his guitar. Uncle Anzo agreed as long as they didn't break the rules. So Jimmy told Aaron to meet them outside on the sidewalk, and that's where Alonzo first met him, a shy boy with dark hair and a southern accent, with a raddy old guitar over his shoulder. They made small talk. Alonzo represented everything this teenage boy wanted to be, so there was a

lot of that awe and wonder you might expect. The singer asked if he knew how to tune the instrument, and the boy shook his head, so he showed them right there outside Jimmy's house. The pair really hit it off too soon enough, an hour had flown by. Alonzo had his own guitar with him and he played through a number of songs on it, singing along as he did. There were ballads, gospel songs, even some stuff he'd written on his own, and Aaron loved every minute of it.

He even learned a few chords in the process. But when they were done, Aaron had to leave. There was no way Jimmy's mother was going to let him inside, and it was getting late, and I'm gonna be honest, with you. It had to have felt pretty demoralizing to be rejected like that just because he didn't have as much as others. It worked out okay, though. Aaron kept practicing, and within a couple of years he was good enough to feel like he should step into a recording studio.

In August of nineteen fifty three, he did just that, recording two songs that he had put onto a record he intended to give to his mother. Soon enough, though, word about his talent had spread. Although it wasn't just his guitar the people were drawn to, it was his voice. There was something special about it about him, and the world was slowly noticing that. Yes, he was the poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks, but that

was all about the change. Today, there's hardly a home in the country that his voice hasn't entered, despite the rules laid out by Jimmy's mother, and over the years, his music propelled him to legendary status. He holds the wreck heard for the most Billboard Top forty songs at one and has sold more than one hundred forty six million albums worldwide, which of course makes sense. After all, Aaron was the king Elvis Aaron Pressley. I hope you've

enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by me, Aaron Manky, in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series, and television show, and you can learn all about it over at the World of Lore dot com. And until next time, stay curious.