Actually, accounts of these phenomena are pretty well-documented. Around 218 BC, Livy reported 'phantom ships' in the sky. There was also a recorded sighting a decade before Caesar's time where 'a thing like a flaming torch' appeared in the sky. Pliny the Elder referred to 'shields' gliding across the sky. …

It's really fascinating to dive into the sources about Caligula. The Roman historian Suetonius is where we get most of the tales concerning Incitatus, but he was known to amplify the scandalous aspects of emperors’ reigns. Caligula's behavior, as mad as it seems, also reflected the absolute power the emperors …

That's actually a really interesting point. It's unlikely that technological progress would linearly map to our timeline. The Roman emphasis on practical engineering might've led to a different set of technological advancements with our modern comforts arriving in a completely different form. The political structure, likely would have evolved. Emperors …