When Julius Caesar was an up and coming politician, he made a trip to Rhodes to study rhetoric. On the way, his ship was taken by pirates. Yes, they had pirates in the Mediterranean Sea in the time of Ancient Rome. As was common for noble captives, Caesar was held for ransom. When Julius heard the amount they were demanding, he told the pirates they were not asking for enough! As he waited for the ransom to be paid, Caesar would sit around talking with his captives. He was charming and the pirates enjoyed his company. The day before the ransom was to arrive, they were talking and one of his new friends asked him what his future plans were. Caesar looked him in the eye and said: “The first thing I’m going to do is raise a navy, return here, capture your harbor and fleet, and see all of you crucified.” The pirates thought this joke was really funny, but he ended up doing exactly what he predicted. As a post script, he did take pity on his “friends” by having their throats cut on their crosses so their deaths were not as long and painful.
– maroon 33
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