Curiosities of ancient Rome (Ancient stories)

Emperor Tiberius admired very much the statue of the Lysippos – showing Apoxyomenos, an athlete cleaning his body with a wooden scraper (stryngilos). The original statue has not survived to our times. The sculpture is known for its marble copy at the Pio-Clementino Museum in the Vatican.

Livy states that during the war with Latins, Volsci and Campania in 340 BCE, Titus Manlius Torquatus, the son of consul Aulus Manlius Torquatus broke father’s order. At this time, Rome fought with tribes which used the same weapon, had the same customs and language and tactics.

Claudius Aelianus mentions that doctor of Pyrrhus – Cineas, wrote a secret letter to the Roman senate and demanded money, promising to murder Pyrrhus using poison. The senators rejected his offer, saying that “for Romans know how to achieve their goals thanks to their bravery and do not fight their enemies with trick, deceit or ambush”. What’s more, they informed Pyrrhus of Cineas offer.

There is a story saying that one day, to the Emperor Augustus, came his former soldier who took part in the battle of Actium (31 BCE). The veteran asked August to defend him in court.

The great grandfather of Lucius Sergius Catiline, a Roman who tried to overthrow the republic in the year 63 BCE, was the hero of the Second Punic War. He was named M. Sergius Silus. He was twice captured by the army of Hannibal and was imprisoned for twenty months. He was named after M. Sergiusz Silus. He was twice captured by the army of Hannibal and was imprisoned for twenty months.

Pliny the Elder mentions that in the first century BCE an artist from southern Italy named Pasitiles went to the wharf – where African animals were kept for performances in the arena – to engrave the lion there.

When Spartacus and his army were surrounded by Romans, he decided to do the trick. He ordered to tie the bodies of fallen comrades to poles outside the camp and arm them with available equipment.

Emperor Elagabalus (reigned in 218-222 CE) was famous for scandalous behavior. One of his worst offenses for the public was being in the relation with priestess of the Roman goddess of a home bonfire, Vesta, whose task was to uphold the eternal fire in the temple. During her 30-year-long service, Vestal Virgin had to keep her virginity, otherwise she would be condemned to death. Heliogabal, regardless of the prestigious function of the Vestals, married one of the priestesses – Aquila Severa.

Marcus Junius Brutus is still the embodiment of betrayal. Although today we know him almost exclusively as a killer of Caesar during his lifetime he was also famous as an outstanding rhetorician and expert on philosophy – for what he was highly appreciated by Cicero. Moreover, it is worth noting that although he eventually became one of Caesar’s close associates, he had already fought against him and always identified with the conservative, traditional part of the Roman political scene.