Curiosities of ancient Rome (Artifact)

Roman mosaic from Pompeii showing a portrait of a woman in great detail. The object is located in the British Museum.

Roman terracotta showing scenes in the lupanar. Object dated to the 1st century CE.

The preserved remains of the Roman road, called the “Amber Road”, in the Hungarian city of Szombathely, in the west of the country.

Roman pediment of the funerary altar. The inscription is not preserved, however it is suspected that the woman was the mother of both men who look respectfully at her. The object comes from the 2nd century CE.

Roman vessel made of dichroic glass. Object dated to the 2nd-3rd century CE.

Roman rock crystal showing a man’s head. The object comes from Caesarea, Israel. The head represents either the emperor Vitellius or Trajan.

Roman marble bust of Plotina, empress and wife of emperor Trajan. Dated back to 110-120 CE. Located at the National Museum in Rome.

Today I will tell you about a monument hidden from the eyes of tourists, which is a sculptural illustration of the myth about the foundation of Rome. We are talking about the front of the sarcophagus, which is today built into the wall of the staircase of the Palazzo Mattei in Rome. The sculptor managed to place all the important elements of the story about the founding of the city in a small space resulting from the dimensions of the sarcophagus.

Roman denarius of Britain’s usurper Carausius in 286-293 CE. The coin was found in Wiltshire, southern England.

Statue of the Roman goddess Mater Matuta from the Etruscan city of Chiusi. The object is dated to the 4th century BCE. In the Roman religion, Mater Matuta was the goddess of ripening grain, morning and fertility.