Roman Emperor Caligula marched his legions to the shores of the English Channel in 40 CE and ordered them to attack the ocean by stabbing the water with their swords.

A closer look

Roman Emperor Caligula marched his legions to the shores of the English Channel in 40 CE and ordered them to attack the ocean by stabbing the water with their swords. After deciding they had thoroughly defeated the god Neptune in this bizarre aquatic melee, Caligula commanded his battle-hardened troops to collect seashells in their helmets as 'plunder' from the conquered sea. These grown men, trained to be the most lethal killing machines in the ancient world, were reduced to aggressively beachcombing on the French coast because their boss was having a psychotic break. Caligula then sent word back to Rome demanding a massive triumph for his glorious victory over the waves. It really puts your own terrible boss into perspective when you realize Roman legionaries had to spend a Tuesday fighting literal saltwater just to avoid being executed by an inbred megalomaniac in a toga