Sometimes we take things to extremes in our zeal to live according to Nature. Scipio Aemilianus, the grandest Roman of his day, died at the height of his career. One of his nephews was throwing him an ambitious funeral banquet, and planned to give a magnificent eulogy.  He was going to proclaim to a large…

The most famous widow in Rome, in Marius’ younger years, was Cornelia.  She was the mother of Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus, the famous Roman populist reformers. At one point she seemed like one of the most fortunate mothers in Rome.  Her sons had brilliant futures ahead of them. Then their father died. Tiberius was 10,…