In Ancient Rome, popular musicians were pretty much the equivalent of modern rock stars. They filled theaters with fans, started riots, and showed disrespect for Roman rulers.

Soloists were the most popular musicians during this time and they toured the Roman Empire playing to huge crowds and making a lot of money.

They were also renowned for their arrogance. One musician even went so far as to refuse to play for Emperor Augustus because he simply didn’t want to. The most famous musicians were even known to inspire something close to Beatle-mania.

In addition to the famous performers, music was a big part of Roman life and played an important role in religious rituals.

This video was created by Roman historian Garrett Ryan of toldinstone.