1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcomed Aaron Mankey's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of I 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 1: of the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, 4 00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:21,640 Speaker 1: all of these amazing tales are right there on display, 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet 6 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: of Curiosities. Look around and you're likely to find quite 7 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: a few traces of ancient Rome persisting to this day. 8 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,400 Speaker 1: Our governments utilize many aspects of the Roman republic, such 9 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: as checks and balances, vetos, and trials by jury. The 10 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:52,879 Speaker 1: vulgar Latin that the Romans spoke influenced the languages that 11 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: later developed in other countries such as France and Italy, 12 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: hence their classification as Romance languages. And the modern aqueducts 13 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 1: of places like Los Angeles and Germany were heavily inspired 14 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: by the Roman versions of old that carried water to 15 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: the people. But not everything from ancient Rome stuck around, 16 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,480 Speaker 1: and that's probably a good thing. Perhaps the biggest concept 17 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:18,040 Speaker 1: in both size and level of danger is the colosseum. 18 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: Of course, we have arenas and stadiums today, giant, sprawling 19 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 1: sporting venues that showcase everything from football games to monster 20 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: truck rallies. The Colosseum, on the other hand, was home 21 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: to all manner of events, both sporting and deadly. Chariot races, 22 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:38,279 Speaker 1: animal hunts, gladiatorial battles, and public executions were all held 23 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: within the high walls of the enormous Roman amphitheater. But 24 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,759 Speaker 1: one event was only put on a handful of times, 25 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: and for good reason, as it was a logistical nightmare 26 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: for everyone involved. The first such instance was held around 27 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: forty six b C. And it was called No Machia. 28 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: It came about after Julius Caesar had just returned from 29 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: successfully defeating army in Gaul and Egypt. He demanded a 30 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: celebration beheld in his honor, but this would be no 31 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 1: ordinary party. He ordered an artificial lake to be constructed 32 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,560 Speaker 1: near the Tiber River. It was to measure eighteen hundred 33 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: feet long by twelve hundred feet wide, with marble seats 34 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: for an audience of dignitaries and wealthy elites. Once the 35 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: lake was filled with water, a dozen Roman galleys were launched, 36 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 1: helmed by crews of thousands. The ships then carried on 37 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: a full scale naval sea battle for the entertainment of 38 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: the emperor. As you can imagine, putting on such a 39 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:37,679 Speaker 1: massive demonstration took teams of thousands to build the lake 40 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: and then stage the nomachia. It wasn't something that could 41 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: happen all the time. But when the Colisseum was finally 42 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:47,400 Speaker 1: completed around a d. A d. Emperor Titus saw no 43 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: better way to break it in than with another naval battle. 44 00:02:50,639 --> 00:02:53,120 Speaker 1: He had a colisseum flooded and brought in ships with 45 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: flat bottoms so they wouldn't scrape against the ground in 46 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,239 Speaker 1: the shallow waters. Historians believed that the smaller size of 47 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: the arena meant that full size ships weren't used. Instead, 48 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: replicas were most likely constructed to fit within the space 49 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: more easily. This fight, however, was different than the one 50 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: staged by Caesar, in that Titus added something new an island. 51 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: A small piece of land was constructed in the center 52 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: of the colosseum so that fighters comprised of prisoners and 53 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: men sentenced to death could jump from the ships and 54 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: engage in hand to hand combat for the audience's amusement. 55 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:29,920 Speaker 1: This first pageant was a re enactment of an ancient 56 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: sea battle between Athens and Syracuse. Six years later, another 57 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: naval battle was put on, possibly the last ever seen 58 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: at the Colisseum. Heavy rains flooded the stadium as the 59 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 1: festivities were going on. All the fighters were killed, as 60 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: were many audience members in attendance. After the tragedy, the 61 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 1: floor of the Colisseum was redone and a series of 62 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: rooms were built beneath it, making it impossible to fill 63 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: the structure with water ever again. Given the expense of 64 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: putting them on and the man power required, Namakia eventually 65 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: fell out of favor with the Empire. Instead, the Colisseum 66 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 1: became a venue for various forms of combat focused entertainment. 67 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 1: Over the next four years, gladiatorial fights gave way to 68 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:17,080 Speaker 1: more practical uses for the space. The Colisseum became a 69 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: fortress during times of war, a quarry, and was even 70 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: picked apart by builders in need of materials. It was 71 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 1: damaged heavily by an earthquake in thirteen seventy nine, but 72 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 1: it still stands today. The Roman Colisseum is considered one 73 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: of the New Seven Wonders of the World, alongside the 74 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: Great Wall of China and the ancient city of Petra 75 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: in Jordan's and for good reason. It's still here after 76 00:04:41,839 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: almost two thousand years, and it will probably be here 77 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: for another two thousand, as long as nobody leaves the 78 00:04:49,160 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: water running. When we think of the great characters of mythology, 79 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,359 Speaker 1: we think of Greek gods like Zeus and Athena, or 80 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,680 Speaker 1: the Norse gods such as Thor and Odin. But mythology 81 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: isn't something that only lives in the past. Turn on 82 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: a television show or open up a book written in 83 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: the last hundred years, and entire worlds of modern mythos 84 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 1: are open to us, from Narnia to Middle Earth to 85 00:05:25,560 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: wester Ros. These places and characters were created from minds 86 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: that could not let them go. It wasn't about fame 87 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: or fortune, but of creativity and inspiration. Well except for one. 88 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,040 Speaker 1: One of the most famous characters we know today started 89 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: out as a gimmick but quickly grew into a beloved 90 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: hero for children and adults all over the world. And 91 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:49,799 Speaker 1: it all started with one man, Roy Thomas Jr. Thomas 92 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 1: was born in Jackson, Missouri. In He grew up an 93 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: avid reader, mostly of comic books, and even wrote and 94 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: illustrated his own to hand out to his friends as 95 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: he got older, He attended Southeast Missouri State University, graduated 96 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty one with a Bachelor of Science and Education. 97 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,640 Speaker 1: Thomas was a history major with a teaching degree, the 98 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: perfect combination for someone who wanted to create modern myths 99 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: for young readers. But he couldn't make and publish books 100 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: on his own for a living. Instead, he moved to 101 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: New York City, where he got a job as an 102 00:06:21,680 --> 00:06:24,919 Speaker 1: assistant to MORET. Wessinger at d C Comics. More was 103 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: editing Superman books at the time and invited Thomas to 104 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 1: work for him for a few weeks to see how 105 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,159 Speaker 1: things went. Long story short, it was rough more it 106 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: was difficult to work for with Thomas softened, returning to 107 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:39,800 Speaker 1: his hotel at nights in tears, he knew that he 108 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 1: wanted to work in publishing, but this wasn't it, so 109 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: he wrote to the editor in chief of another publisher. 110 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 1: The funny thing about that letter, however, was that he 111 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 1: didn't ask for a job. He merely gushed about his 112 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: love for the work that publisher was doing and offered 113 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: to buy the man a drink, hoping for the best. Meanwhile, 114 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:01,200 Speaker 1: Roy had an iron in another wire waiting for him 115 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: a fellowship to study foreign relations at George Washington University 116 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: in Washington, d C. Even if things didn't work out 117 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: in New York, at least he had a backup plan, 118 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: but he didn't need it. The editor in chief of 119 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: the other publisher had received his letter and called him 120 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: up for an interview. Thomas headed over to their offices 121 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: to take a writing test and was almost immediately hired 122 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: as a staff writer. He bid mort farewell, declined the 123 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,680 Speaker 1: fellowship from George Washington University, and started a career that 124 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: would change his life and eventually the future of entertainment. 125 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,880 Speaker 1: Thomas was given a desk, a typewriter, and a job 126 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: punching up various titles around the company. He stayed there 127 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:44,080 Speaker 1: through the nineteen sixties and well into the nineteen seventies 128 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: as other writers departed for greener pastures. The company wasn't 129 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: doing well, especially in international markets, and they were in 130 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: need of a new hit. He then took over as 131 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: editor in chief in nineteen seventy two when the man 132 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: who had hired him became the head of the company. 133 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:02,840 Speaker 1: As part of his duties, Thomas was required to come 134 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:05,880 Speaker 1: up with new ideas on how to boost circulation. It 135 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 1: was while looking at the sales numbers when he got 136 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: an idea. About five to ten percent of their readers 137 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: lived in Canada, but they didn't have a character to 138 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: call their own. Almost every popular title was based in 139 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: the United States, so Thomas set out to give his 140 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 1: neighbors to the north someone to cheer for and of course, 141 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: to spend money on. He started thinking about animals as 142 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:33,199 Speaker 1: a basis, specifically Canadian animals. Moose weren't particularly heroic, and 143 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: badgers came with a negative association due to the name 144 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: being a synonym for annoying. But there was another creature, 145 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 1: one with sharp claws that was known to attack beasts 146 00:08:43,760 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 1: much larger than itself. Without question, that provided the perfect 147 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: foundation for a brand new hero, one who got his 148 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: big debut in ninety four against the Incredible Hulk. You see, 149 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:59,000 Speaker 1: Roy Thomas Jr. Was editor in chief of Marvel Comics, 150 00:08:59,320 --> 00:09:02,200 Speaker 1: and he was higher by stan Lee himself. He helped 151 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: create a brand new character to boost sales in Canada 152 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 1: and Adamantium Claude cigar chopping mutant from way up North 153 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:13,440 Speaker 1: who changed the face of comics forever. I'm talking, of course, 154 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:21,720 Speaker 1: about Weapon X himself Wolverine. I hope you've enjoyed today's 155 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free 156 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:28,080 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by 157 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by 158 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: me Aaron Manky in partnership with how Stuff Works. I 159 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 1: make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, 160 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 1: book series, and television show, and you can learn all 161 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: about it over at the World of Lore dot com. 162 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: And until next time, stay curious.