Curiosities of ancient Rome (Ancient stories)

According to Suetonius, when Julius Caesar in 49 BCE crossed the Rubicon, he decided to appear at a rally in front of his soldiers and speak to them to prove his point.

The siege of Jerusalem, defended by Jewish insurgents against the Romans, lasted for several months in 70 CE. The defenders were deceptive many times, and he did not fail to mention Josephus – our main source of information about those events.

In 294 CE king of Persia – Narseh, son of the great Shapur I, led a surprise invasion of the Roman Empire. Galerius in the office of Caesar, with the help of smaller forces, delayed the Sassanid attack while awaiting the arrival of Augustus’ reinforcements Diocletian.

During the war between Macrinus and Elagabalus, the Battle of Immae in 218 took place. The Praetorians were to face the famous Legio II Parthica. This battle was unusual from the beginning: Cassius Dio reports that the emperor ordered his army to fight without armour. Despite the lack of armour, the praetorians forced the army of the usurper, but for some reason, Macrinus chickened out and fled the battlefield, thanks to what Elagabalus finally won (Cassius Dio LXXVIII 37).

Trajan is considered one of the best Roman emperors in history. During his reign, the Roman Empire reached its military and territorial peak. What distinguished Trajan was the fact that he greatly respected the Senate, what after years of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, was not something obvious.

Cassius Dio tells about an interesting discussion between the wife of Septimius Severus – Julia Domna, and taken captive wife of the Caledonian chieftain, Argentocoxus, which is not known from the name. The conversation was supposed to take place during the emperor’s military campaign in the north of Britain.

The Romans appreciated the possibility of relaxing in the baths. Of course, the full pleasure of bathing could be experienced thanks to special additives such as oils or scrapers. A slave or bathman (balneator) hired for an appropriate fee could definitely make the stay more enjoyable.

Elephants were exotic animals that often appeared in the arenas of Roman amphitheatres and circuses. The enormous size and unusual appearance made the Roman crowd loved to watch them.

On May 13, 609, Pope Boniface IV decided to transform the Pantheon into the Church of Santa Maria ad Martyres. Until now, the former temple of all Roman deities, since the fall of the Western Roman Empire, was largely unused. There is, however, a parable related to this event.

Roman mythology is said to be a carbon copy of Greek and Etruscan beliefs. This is true in many cases, although there are interesting exceptions.