Roman Debauchery Fun Facts: Amiculus Edition #1

"Dear Little Friend"

"Little Boots"

"Short Cloak"

"Poop-Name?!"

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I've decided to revive a fun little series of posts I started on Facebook awhile ago called "Roman Debauchery Fun Facts." The best place to start with these is with Roman nicknames, which are surprisingly awesome little factoids.  "Amiculus," for instance, is a nickname meaning "Dear Little Friend," creating some irony around the guy who's out to destroy the Roman Empire.

The BEST, though, are emperor's nicknames, such as:

CALIGULA (A.D. 37-41): Named Gaius Germanicus at his birth, he was nicknamed "Little Boots" for the soldier's uniform he wore as a toddler (complete with tiny footwear). This was a name that stuck with him his whole life, one that he DESPISED, although he didn't much care for his real name, either, and the mention of either in his presence could be enough to have you killed, as could looking down on him from above or talking about goats. Not even kidding here.



 CARACALLA (A.D. 211-217): Named Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, his nickname "Short Cloak" came from a fashion innovation he created, a shorter version of a hooded cloak. He was an angry sort as well, as you can tell from the picture, which kind of resembles a hairy, constipated Steve McQueen. This anger issue was probably precipitated by the fact that his nickname had a much lamer back-story than Caligula's and because it could so easily be mistaken for "Short Bus." 




CONSTANTINE V "COPRONYMUS" (A.D. 741-775): 
A Byzantine emperor, Constantine earned the nickname "Poop-Name" from his enemies (and, let's face it, probably his friends) due to a story stating that, at his baptism, he had an accident in the baptismal font. Constantine is remembered as a good emperor, if a little high-strung ( a proper fiber regimen might have helped with that). He is also known for the killing and persecution of hundreds of monks, officially for their views on the veneration of icons, but mainly for the non-stop farting noises they made with their mouths every time he walked past.