The Third Ship
Some might think it ironic that the Nemi Ships survived for over 2,000 years underwater only to be destroyed within a decade of their life on the surface. But this is unfortunately what happened. On May 31, 1944, an unknown group of retreating German soldiers committed a malicious act of arson when they set the ships alight. By the time the Italians knew what had happened, it was too late. Aside from notes in the historical record, all that was left of Caligula’s magnificent vessels were cinders. As fortune would have it, however, it seems there is a third.
Mussolini’s party never drained the deepest part of the lake; rumored since the fifteenth century to be the resting place of a larger 400 feet long vessel. Like the other two ships, it’s likely to be excessively luxurious: resplendent with mosaicked floors, marble columns, gold decorations and (in its day) hot and cold running water. Nor is this ship’s existence just the stuff of rumors. Local fishermen have testified this ship’s existence by reporting Roman artifacts they find snagged up in their fishing lines.
The hunt is already underway. Various Italian authorities have teamed together to launch a cooperative (and therefore distinctly un-Italian) effort to search for the lost ship. Using hi-tech scanners, they have already identified an area some 100 feet deep for divers to scour. Things always move slowly in Italy, and so far they have only made it to a depth of 90 feet without much success. But within a few weeks, we should have a better idea of what—if anything—remains of this third titanic vessel.
While we wait for the third ship to be discovered, we’ll have to make to with the other ghosts from antiquity that continue to haunt Nemi. There are, however, many. As previously mentioned, Nemi derived its name from the Latin word for “holy wood”, and as well as being famous for its outstanding natural beauty (and debauched booze cruises aboard Caligula’s pleasure barges), Nemi was famous in antiquity for being the home to the Rex nemorensis, or the “King of the grove.”
Quite uniquely in the ancient world, this king could only be a slave who had run away from his master. He was, in reality, less a king and more a priest to the goddess of nature and hunting, Diana. However, like a king, he always faced the real and terrifying prospect of being violently supplanted by someone stronger. The removal of the incumbent king was in fact turned into a quasi-religious ritual, in which after plucking a golden bough from the grove, any other runaway slave could challenge the king to mortal combat. If the king won, he would retain his position. If not, his victor would take up the (dubiously attractive) title in his place.
Testament to the strength of Caligula’s attachment to the Nemi area is the fact that his story ties in with that of the Rex nemorensis. According to Suetonius, Caligula was a very jealous ruler and hated anybody who commanded even a morsel of power or respect. This extended beyond senators and popular theatre performers to include the King of Nemi himself. In the emperor’s opinion, one particular king had held his position for too long. So in a particularly spiteful act, Caligula decided to supplant him. He procured the strongest slave he could find and sent him to Nemi to fight the incumbent king. To cut a long story short: the defending king had far less longevity than either of Caligula’s pleasure barges.
Where Did We Find This Stuff? Some Sources and Further Reading
Discover Magazine – Nemi Ships: How Caligula’s Floating Pleasure Palaces Were Found and Lost Again
History of Yesterday – The Pleasure Ships of the Roman Emperor Caligula Were The Yachts of Antiquity
Rare Historical Photos – Italians viewing antique Emperor Caligula’s Nemi ships, 1932
The New York Times – Long-Lost Mosaic From a ‘Floating Palace’ of Caligula Returns Home
Seeker – Mystery of Emperor Caligula’s Party Ships Could Be Revealed After 2,000 Years