Claudius's fart edict legalised public flatulence
Claudius issued a decree allowing people to fart in public, motivated by concerns about the health risks of holding in flatulence.
Where this was said
Uno Reverse
At 41:44 · chapter starts 37:16
In the year 50 AD, Claudius orders the expulsion of Jews from Rome, with the historical record offering no clear reason. Fin needs only two words: 'They're Jewish.' This sparks one of the episode's more pointed riffs — that Jewish expulsion is the single constant across every era the show covers, with the hosts framing Netanyahu's modern Israel as a 'Uno reverse' of 2,000 years of persecution. [1] — Fin Taylor "It is the one constant through every era that we talk about on this show, is that if there are Jews there, they'll be kicked out shortly...…" 38:34 The episode then shifts to Claudius's more admirable legacy: his slave protection edicts. If a master abandoned a sick slave, that slave went free. If a master killed a sick slave instead of treating them, the master faced murder charges. The hosts frame this as ancient Rome's version of woke policy — imagining Telegraph headlines about 'squeezing slave owners' who now have to actually care for their human property.
The Slave Rights Reforms of Claudius
Claudius issued edicts that would have made the Telegraph apoplectic: if you abandoned a sick slave, that slave went free. If you killed a slave instead of treating their illness, you faced murder charges. The hosts note this is the Roman Empire's version of 'woke nonsense' — and that it worked.
Claudius issued ~20 edicts per day
Claudius was described as issuing approximately 20 edicts per day during his reign, compared by the hosts to Trump's prolific executive order output.
The Fart Edict: Claudius Legalises Public Flatulence
Claudius issued a historic edict legalising public farting, driven by genuine medical concern about the dangers of holding in gas. The hosts note — with some scientific backing from their researcher Charlie — that suppressed farts can come out as burps that travel through the lungs.
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