When in Rome

as checks and balances, vetos, and trials by jury. The vulgar Latin that the Romans spoke influenced the languages that later developed in other countries such as France and Italy, hence their classification as Romance languages. And the modern aqueducts of places like Los Angeles and Germany were heavily inspired by the Roman versions of old that carried water to the people. But not everything from ancient Rome stuck around,

and that's probably a good thing. Perhaps the biggest concept in both size and level of danger is the colosseum. Of course, we have arenas and stadiums today, giant, sprawling sporting venues that showcase everything from football games to monster truck rallies. The Colosseum, on the other hand, was home to all manner of events, both sporting and deadly. Chariot races, animal hunts, gladiatorial battles, and public executions were all held

within the high walls of the enormous Roman amphitheater. But one event was only put on a handful of times, and for good reason, as it was a logistical nightmare for everyone involved. The first such instance was held around forty six b C. And it was called No Machia. It came about after Julius Caesar had just returned from successfully defeating army in Gaul and Egypt. He demanded a celebration beheld in his honor, but this would be no

ordinary party. He ordered an artificial lake to be constructed near the Tiber River. It was to measure eighteen hundred feet long by twelve hundred feet wide, with marble seats for an audience of dignitaries and wealthy elites. Once the lake was filled with water, a dozen Roman galleys were launched, helmed by crews of thousands. The ships then carried on a full scale naval sea battle for the entertainment of

the emperor. As you can imagine, putting on such a massive demonstration took teams of thousands to build the lake and then stage the nomachia. It wasn't something that could happen all the time. But when the Colisseum was finally completed around a d. A d. Emperor Titus saw no better way to break it in than with another naval battle. He had a colisseum flooded and brought in ships with flat bottoms so they wouldn't scrape against the ground in

the shallow waters. Historians believed that the smaller size of the arena meant that full size ships weren't used. Instead, replicas were most likely constructed to fit within the space more easily. This fight, however, was different than the one staged by Caesar, in that Titus added something new an island.

A small piece of land was constructed in the center of the colosseum so that fighters comprised of prisoners and men sentenced to death could jump from the ships and engage in hand to hand combat for the audience's amusement. This first pageant was a re enactment of an ancient sea battle between Athens and Syracuse. Six years later, another naval battle was put on, possibly the last ever seen at the Colisseum. Heavy rains flooded the stadium as the

festivities were going on. All the fighters were killed, as were many audience members in attendance. After the tragedy, the floor of the Colisseum was redone and a series of rooms were built beneath it, making it impossible to fill the structure with water ever again. Given the expense of putting them on and the man power required, Namakia eventually fell out of favor with the Empire. Instead, the Colisseum became a venue for various forms of combat focused entertainment.

Over the next four years, gladiatorial fights gave way to more practical uses for the space. The Colisseum became a fortress during times of war, a quarry, and was even picked apart by builders in need of materials. It was damaged heavily by an earthquake in thirteen seventy nine, but it still stands today. The Roman Colisseum is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, alongside the Great Wall of China and the ancient city of Petra

in Jordan's and for good reason. It's still here after almost two thousand years, and it will probably be here for another two thousand, as long as nobody leaves the water running. When we think of the great characters of mythology, we think of Greek gods like Zeus and Athena, or the Norse gods such as Thor and Odin. But mythology

isn't something that only lives in the past. Turn on a television show or open up a book written in the last hundred years, and entire worlds of modern mythos are open to us, from Narnia to Middle Earth to wester Ros. These places and characters were created from minds that could not let them go. It wasn't about fame or fortune, but of creativity and inspiration. Well except for one. One of the most famous characters we know today started out as a gimmick but quickly grew into a beloved

hero for children and adults all over the world. And it all started with one man, Roy Thomas Jr. Thomas was born in Jackson, Missouri. In He grew up an avid reader, mostly of comic books, and even wrote and illustrated his own to hand out to his friends as he got older, He attended Southeast Missouri State University, graduated in nineteen sixty one with a Bachelor of Science and Education.

Thomas was a history major with a teaching degree, the perfect combination for someone who wanted to create modern myths for young readers. But he couldn't make and publish books on his own for a living. Instead, he moved to New York City, where he got a job as an assistant to MORET. Wessinger at d C Comics. More was editing Superman books at the time and invited Thomas to work for him for a few weeks to see how

things went. Long story short, it was rough more it was difficult to work for with Thomas softened, returning to his hotel at nights in tears, he knew that he wanted to work in publishing, but this wasn't it, so he wrote to the editor in chief of another publisher. The funny thing about that letter, however, was that he didn't ask for a job. He merely gushed about his love for the work that publisher was doing and offered

to buy the man a drink, hoping for the best. Meanwhile, Roy had an iron in another wire waiting for him a fellowship to study foreign relations at George Washington University in Washington, d C. Even if things didn't work out in New York, at least he had a backup plan, but he didn't need it. The editor in chief of the other publisher had received his letter and called him up for an interview. Thomas headed over to their offices to take a writing test and was almost immediately hired

as a staff writer. He bid mort farewell, declined the fellowship from George Washington University, and started a career that would change his life and eventually the future of entertainment. Thomas was given a desk, a typewriter, and a job punching up various titles around the company. He stayed there through the nineteen sixties and well into the nineteen seventies

as other writers departed for greener pastures. The company wasn't doing well, especially in international markets, and they were in need of a new hit. He then took over as editor in chief in nineteen seventy two when the man who had hired him became the head of the company. As part of his duties, Thomas was required to come up with new ideas on how to boost circulation. It was while looking at the sales numbers when he got

an idea. About five to ten percent of their readers lived in Canada, but they didn't have a character to call their own. Almost every popular title was based in the United States, so Thomas set out to give his neighbors to the north someone to cheer for and of course, to spend money on. He started thinking about animals as a basis, specifically Canadian animals. Moose weren't particularly heroic, and badgers came with a negative association due to the name

being a synonym for annoying. But there was another creature, one with sharp claws that was known to attack beasts much larger than itself. Without question, that provided the perfect foundation for a brand new hero, one who got his big debut in ninety four against the Incredible Hulk. You see, Roy Thomas Jr. Was editor in chief of Marvel Comics,

and he was higher by stan Lee himself. He helped create a brand new character to boost sales in Canada and Adamantium Claude cigar chopping mutant from way up North who changed the face of comics forever. I'm talking, of course, about Weapon X himself Wolverine. 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.