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The world of the ancient Romans was rich in extraordinary, and sometimes even surprising, facts. We draw our knowledge of Roman daily life, customs, and mentality primarily from works left by ancient writers and historians. It is thanks to them that we discover information that is astonishing today – sometimes even hard to believe. Below are some interesting facts that reveal a lesser-known and less obvious side of the Roman world.
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Within the Roman aristocracy, music was considered a rather common pastime, but among ordinary people, making music, singing, and dancing were popular pastimes. Music could be heard in the theater and at feasts. It accompanied religious ceremonies and public celebrations, even gladiatorial combats.
In Rome, “eating out” was not a luxury but a daily necessity in a big city. Street bars selling ready-made food, described by archaeologists as thermopolia, operated from stone counters with large jars (dolia) set into holes in the surface. Food and drink were served to be eaten on the spot or taken away. The popularity of such places grew out of life in the insulae; in crowded rental blocks, having a private kitchen was often not an option, so a quick meal bought on the street was simply how many people got by. The best evidence comes from Pompeii, where not only the counters and vessels survived, but also frescoes, graffiti, and food remains that let us glimpse a menu from almost two thousand years ago.
Roman fibula (cloth clasp) in the form of a swastika. This item is in the collection of the Archaeological Museum in Gunzenhausen, Germany.
The presented object – a Roman spoon and fork – dating from around the 3rd century CE and made of silver. It measures 16.2 cm in length and is currently in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (USA). It is an example of a luxurious everyday item, demonstrating the high level of metallurgical craftsmanship during the Roman Empire.
Roman folding knife with a bone handle and a bronze or iron blade. This item is on display at the Museum of Art and History in Geneva, Switzerland.
Pair of Roman earrings made of gold and semi-precious stones from the 3rd/4th century CE. The objects are located in the Archaeological Museum of the University of Münster (Germany).
Curule chair (sella curulis) is a folding stool with crossed straight or curved legs, originally backless. It was known to many ancient cultures of the Mediterranean basin, including the Greeks and Egyptians (it reached China via the Silk Road). The ancient Romans most likely adopted it from the Etruscans.
This ancient Roman bronze stylus, discovered in Tiel (central Netherlands), is a small, elongated writing instrument used during the Roman Empire. Made of bronze, it has a slender shape – one end is pointed, while the other is flattened or slightly flared.
Gold necklace with a medallion depicting a goddess is an example of jewelry from the period when Egypt was under Roman rule (30 BCE – 300 CE). This unique piece combines jewelry craftsmanship, religious symbolism, and the multicultural identity of the era.
