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Articles (Society)

The Roman state existed in practice for XIII centuries, being the power which was impacting the history. Therefore, I decided that I would tell the history of ancient Rome in the articles below, which will not necessarily cover only the Eternal City.

I encourage you to send articles and point out any corrections or inaccuracies.

Secessio plebis

Ancient Rome from the beginning of its existence consisted of two social layers – patricians and plebeians; higher and lower state respectively. Lack of influence on state decisions and the use of plebe by patricians led to the so-called secessio plebis that took place five times in Rome’s history.

B. Barloccini, Plebeian Secession

Keys and locks in ancient Rome

Hardly anyone wonders how the ancients once closed their homes, chests or cells. As it turns out, a modern key or lock is an ancient invention. For example, castles made of strong wood were already used in Egypt or Greece. However, most of the locksmith’s “patents” come from Rome, which largely took over knowledge from the Etruscans.

Different types of Roman keys

Infanticide in ancient Rome

Starting from the founding of Rome, the father of the family had extensive, almost unlimited power in relation to his family – literally the life of the offspring was in his hands. He had the right not to accept a child, regardless of his sex, even if he was healthy. The law of the Twelfth Tablets adopted in the early stages of the republic (450 BCE) even demanded the elimination of sick or weak children: “A dreadfully deformed child shall be quickly killed” (Table IV).

Young Nero

How did the Romans dress?

The upper social strata of Rome paid attention to how they dressed and what fashion prevailed at that time. Roman clothes owed a lot to Greeks, but it should be emphasized that the Romans created their own style and cut of clothing (you can say more sophisticated).

How did the Romans dress?

What beauty was appreciated by Romans?

Ovid, a Roman poet of the Augustus epoch, in his work Medicamina Faciei Feminae, which is a short work on a care of the female body, indicates what is female beauty: pale complexion, rosy cheeks, dark eyes devoid of unnatural odours of skin.

A painting by John William Godward showing a beautiful woman from the  ancient world

Black people in ancient Rome

Ancient Romans, who had under their control, huge tracts of land certainly had to deal with the black population on a daily basis. Interestingly, the ratio of the white to the black race was not always beneficial only for the former.

Scene from the movie "Gladiator"

How ancient people trained?

Physical culture has long been one of the key aspects of our lives. Since the dawn of time, people have benefited from the benefits of body training.

As the ancients practiced

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