Publius Virgil Maron (70 BC – 19 BC), Virgil , was a Roman poet, known for being the author of the Aeneid.
It is said that Virgil prepared a funeral for the pet worthy of emperors... his "pet" of his, according to him, was a fly . The ceremony was held in his mansion, enlivened by musicians, to which the most relevant personalities such as Cayo Mecenas were invited. , her protector, the best wines and the most exquisite food were dispatched, and she was buried in a mausoleum built for that purpose on her land. All this waste involved more than 800,000 sesterces for the pockets of the sorrowful Virgil. What nonsense!
Nothing is further from reality . It was the time of the Second Triumvirate in the Republic of Rome, a five-year alliance made between Marco Antonio, César Octaviano and Marco Emilio Lépido , after the power vacuum caused by the assassination of Julius Caesar. It reached Virgil's ears that the Triumvirate intended to enact a decree expropriating the lands of the landlords and dividing them up among the "retired" soldiers. Land containing tombs would be excluded from this decree as they were considered sacred.
With this little ruse, Virgilio's lands were spared from expropriation.
Source:The book of unusual events – Gregorio Duval