Why a degree in history can be useful...
It is said Caligula once appointed his horse to be a Roman Senator. Its not because Incitatus was a fine horse (I'm sure he was) or because Caligula was mad (I'm sure he was). He did it to show his utter contempt for Roman institutions and tradition.
And he also did it to demonstrate how he was no longer bound or constrained by Roman law, custom, or history.