I don't know what made me think of this, but there is this painting that tells of an incident that reveals the cruelty/insanity of one of Rome's child emperors, Elagabalus
The painting is called "Roses of Elagabalus"(by Alma-Tadema), where he smothered his guests in rose petals that fell from the ceiling.
And here's my mildly humorous version:
Fun history lesson from yours truly XD