Curiosities of ancient Rome (Ancient stories)

The main characters of the historical television series “Rome” – Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus are authentic characters. They were both Roman centurions in probably the 11th legion Claudia¹ (although Caesar does not indicate the legion number) of Quintus Cicero who fought in Gaul at the end 54 BCE, during the revolt of the Belgian Eburones tribe, under the leadership of Ambioryx and Nervii. Julius Caesar mentions them in in his “Gallic War”.

Gaius Julius Caesar is known from ancient sources as a charismatic leader and warrior able to turn the tide of battle. An example of such skills is the story told by Plutarch of Cheronei.

Suetonius mentions that one of the most powerful people in the ancient world – Octavian Augustus (63 BCE – 14 CE) did not impress with height and had crooked teeth. He was prone to hypochondria. He was afraid of the storm, avoided the sun and rarely bathed because he thought it was healthier. He also had a problem getting up in the morning. 

According to Plutarch, Julius Caesar was to refuse to put a crown on his head by Mark Antony after winning the civil war. Rome, however, was convinced of Caesar’s royal aspirations..

When Augustus returned to Rome after the victory over Antony at Actium (31 BCE), a man with a raven was among those people who were greeting him. The bird greeted Octavian with the words: “Hail Caesar, the victorious commander”. August bought a bird for twenty thousand sesterces. Then the acquaintance of this man, caused by envy, reported that he had another bird.

Gaius Apuleius Diocles was born in 104 CE in the province of Lusitania, which is located in what is now southern Portugal and southwestern Spain. He was born a free man or a slave, most likely he was also illiterate. Little is known about his youth and a lack of reliable information about him, but he was the best-paid athlete in history.

We can mention some of the better and unforgettable feats of Mark Antony. Once he started service under the supervision of Aulus Gabinius at the age of 26, in 57 BCE he suppressed the rise of the Judaeans under the leadership of Aristobulus, he went from Jerusalem to Pelusium, what no one expected, he defeated his old friend Archaelos, and then put on throne Ptolemy XII Auletes.

Caligula was remembered as one of the worst rulers of ancient Rome. If we believe historians’ accounts the Emperor would have distinguished himself with controversial ‘romances’.

Pliny the Elder, a Roman historian and writer, remembers that the Romans valued the taste of meat very much. In addition, even the richer Romans created their own muraenidae farms in the estate to have access to fresh fish.

According to Suetonius, Emperor Caligula was supposedly commissioned to build a temporary bridge connecting the banks of the Bay of Naples.