Curiosities of ancient Rome

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The world of the ancient Romans was rich in extraordinary, and sometimes even surprising, facts. We draw our knowledge of Roman daily life, customs, and mentality primarily from works left by ancient writers and historians. It is thanks to them that we discover information that is astonishing today – sometimes even hard to believe. Below are some interesting facts that reveal a lesser-known and less obvious side of the Roman world.

I encourage you to submit your own suggestions and to report any corrections or inaccuracies.

Skull of defeated gladiator

Preserved gladiator skull with visible traces of a trident hit. This weapon was used by the retiarus – a lightly armoured warrior who also had a net that he threw at his opponent to restrain…Więcej

Marshal Józef Piłsudski about his historical interests

Marshal Józef Piłsudski about his historical interests: “The books describing the existence of the classical nations – the Greeks and Romans made the greatest impression on me. Probably because they were filled with details of…Więcej

Pork in Imperium Romanum

Pork is a very tasty meat – probably everyone who eats it will agree with this. Many of us probably cannot imagine that at least once a week there would be no pork chop or…Więcej

Where did “Abracadabra” come from?

The word “abracadabra ” first appears in Liber Medicinalis (known as De Medicina Praecepta Saluberrima), a medical book written in verse in Latin. It is believed that the author could have been Quintus Serenus Sammonicus,…Więcej

Scipionyx

In 1981, Italian amateur palaeontologist Giovanni Todesco discovered the remains of a new species of dinosaur from the early Cretaceous period. Initially, he decided that the fossil of a small theropod he found must have…Więcej

Defrutum and lead problems

Defrutum (or carenum or sapa) is a grape juice (so-called must), which is boiled with spices until it thickens and acquires a sweet taste. The substance prepared in this way served in ancient Rome as…Więcej

Roman dolabra

In most studies, the equipment of Roman legionary is discussed in terms of armament, and less attention is paid to items that facilitated everyday life in camps and forts or those that were useful in…Więcej

Roman folding knives

A knife is one of the oldest tools known to man. The invention of the Palaeolithic era helped to survive and later facilitated the life of the human species in conditions of settled existence. What…Więcej

Many diseases among poor

More than 90% of the population of Roman Empire came from the rural poor and it was barely making ends meet. The Roman historian Titus Livius mentions a centurion who in the 2nd century BCE.…Więcej

Penalty for tourist for engraving letter on Colosseum

A 42-year-old Russian tourist was fined EUR 20,000 for engraving a large letter “K” (25 cm high) on the wall of the Colosseum.Więcej

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