Curiosities of ancient Rome (Ancient stories)
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When Pantheon became church
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. ... Read more
Family of Julius descended from Venus
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. Venus did not begin to be identified with Aphrodite until the 2nd century BCE. Previously, ... Read more
Giant Roman emperor Maximinus Thrax
Ancient sources, both the unbelievable ones like “Historia Augusta” and those more sensible (Herodian), mention the Roman emperor Maximinus Thrax as a man of enormous size. According to “Historia Augusta”, his height was 250 cm. Moreover, his thumb was reportedly ... Read more
Octavian and Alexander the Great
Octavian Augustus, after the victory at Actium (31 BCE) and the suicidal death of Cleopatra and Antony, when he entered Alexandria, ordered to be taken to the tomb of the great Macedonian general, Alexander the Great. According to Suetonius, he ... Read more
Strange phenomena from Pliny
Pliny the Elder, author of the encyclopedic work “Natural History”, often relied on various and often unverified sources. The writer even mentions that if a mother wanted her child to have black eyes, she had to eat a shrew during ... Read more
Tragedy related to Law of the Twelve Tables
The Law of the Twelve Tables, in ancient communications, appears as a plebeian victory over an aristocracy. However, not everyone knows that, according to sources, their creation was associated with dramatic events and a private tragedy. In the middle of ... Read more
Cooperation between Hannibal and Antiochus III
Hannibal was over 40 years old after the end of the Second Punic War. After signing the humiliating peace, Hannibal decided to focus on politics. He was elected a shofeṭ, the highest government official, with strong executive power and considerable ... Read more
First mention of UFOs from time of Romans?
All the time we hear about sensational reports of observation of unidentified flying objects – UFOs. As it turns out, the ancient writers also left us interesting accounts. In 218 BCE, according to Livy, a huge fleet of ships was ... Read more
Foolish words of sister of Publius Claudius Pulcher
According to ancient sources, during the First Punic War (264-241 BCE), consul Appius Claudius Pulcher attacked in 249 BCE Carthaginian fleet at Drepanum (today Trapani) in Sicily, despite the unfavorable behavior of the sacred chickens. Birds were used to evaluate ... Read more
Gladiator’s pernicious fame
Gladiator Spiculus convinced himself that life in grace is uncertain and changeable and that nothing lasts forever. He fought in the arena, he was the favourite of the emperor, he gained fame and enormous wealth, which every Roman certainly dreamed ... Read more
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