Among the palace coups and military campaigns come sudden, arresting personal details: it is impossible to forget Tiberius rubbing a man's face with a crab, or Augustus's demands that things should be done " quicker than boiled asparagus" .

在宫廷政变和军事行动中突然发生，逮捕个人细节：不可能忘记提比略用螃蟹擦男人的脸， 或者奥古斯都要求事情应该“比煮芦笋快” 。