Random Craziest Ancient Rome Sex Scandals (16 items)

(#12) Emperor Elagabalus Was All About Role-Playing

Elagabalus would search for the most well-endowed men in all of Rome and bring them back to his palace. There, he'd pose for them as the goddess of love, Venus. He'd pretend his partner was Paris from the Illiad and let the fantasy go from there.
(#11) Augustus Exiled His Daughter For Ruining Family Values

Emperor Augustus found himself in a bind with his daughter, Julia. Augustus was a supporter of family values and set out to make adultery illegal. Julia complicated his political stance by frequently indulging in vices, including public instances of adultery. Augustus was so upset that he exiled her to an island with no men or wine. As for the men she slept with, they were either exiled themselves or forced to kill themselves.
(#10) Caligula Turned His Palace Into A Brothel

When the Roman treasury was running low on money and taxes just weren't doing the trick, Caligula turned his palace into a brothel. He put everyone on a line of credit with astronomical interest rates. Once, he allegedly saw two "Roman knights" who owed him passing by, so he had them seized and confiscated all their property.
(#8) An Empress Had A Taboo Face-Off With A Famous Prostitute—And Won

According to Pliny the Elder, Valeria Messalina, the third wife of Emperor Claudius and mother of his son, was known for her appetite for pleasure. Just for fun, the empress bet the best Roman courtesan of her time that she could sleep with more men in one day than said lady of the night. Messalina came out on top by bedding 25 men.
(#6) Nero Dressed Up As Animals For His Sexcapades

Nero may have had a weird childhood, but not even the most uncommon upbringing could explain his most ferocious urges. Stories said he liked to play a game where he dressed in animal skins, was let loose from a cage, and went to town on defenseless men and women who were tied to stakes.
(#13) Cleopatra Had A Love Child With Caesar And Paraded It Around Rome

Julius Caesar not only started the reign of Roman emperors; he was one of their finest playboys. Despite his marriage to Calpurnia, he took many mistresses—among them, the famous Cleopatra. When Caesar invited her to Rome, Cleopatra brought their baby and showed him off to everyone... including Calpurnia.

So what was an epic playboy to do? He gave the kid his name and drafted up a law saying he could marry as many women as he wanted.