History is full of chaos, but the pure absurdity of our ancestors takes the cake. For example, Roman Emperor Constantine the Great named almost all his kids — and his capital city — after himself. Family dinners must have been an absolute nightmare of miscommunication.
Or look at Pompeii, where ancient Romans vandalized city walls with landlord complaints, petty neighbor insults, and crude jokes. Thousands of years later, modern archaeologists carefully brush off these drunk scribbles and label them priceless historical artifacts.
A popular online page @accuratehistorian loves roasting these bizarre moments by turning them into hilarious memes. We’ve rounded up some of their funniest and most accurate posts to show you just how strange the past really was.
By mocking these historical fails, memes offer a comforting reminder: human beings have always been a little flawed and prone to bad decisions. Laughing at our ancestors’ mistakes also takes the intimidation out of studying the past.
Ultimately, these memes remind us that no matter how chaotic the modern world feels, humanity has always managed to stumble forward despite reckless leaders and decisions.
