That Old Philogelos—Up To His Old Tricks!

Josh Bearman bio ↓ · April 9th, 2009 · filed under books

Classicist Mary Beard has discovered a joke book from the 4th century AD, filled with rib-ticklers from the late Roman Empire. Just like today, the old egghead is a source of tremendous humor, along with other frequently targeted figures of fun, such as eunuchs (of course), and people with hernias. And apparently, people from Abdera in Thrace were really stupid!

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Joshuah Bearman has written about CIA missions, aspiring Fabios, and the world's greatest Pac Man player. Yes, it was he who blew the lid off the story of the great rodent disaster of 2003, when giant gerbils invaded inland China. Joshuah has written for Harpers, McSweeneys, Wired, Rolling Stone, and contributes to This American Life. More from this author →

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That Old Philogelos—Up To His Old Tricks!

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