Why Was Caligula's HUGE Nemi Ships Built on a Lake?
With no access to the ocean, building two enormous ships on a relatively tiny lake has raised a lot of questions for people familiar with the Nemi ships. It becomes even more complicated when considering the fact that Lake Nemi was likely considered a sacred lake and was probably forbidden to sail on, because it was associated with the Roman Goddess Diana. A temple alongside the lake was constructed in her honor amidst a territory traditionally considered her sacred grove, or sanctuary. But if Caligula was indeed responsible for building the ships, it was probably allowed because he held supreme power. While it's not known, construction of these pleasure barges might have upset Roman citizens who were already not very fond of Caligula. After his assassination, they may have been destroyed to honor Diana. We will probably never know for sure why, when or how the ships met their end.
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