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.

Example of Scipio Nasica how not to talk to voter

We are all well aware that an effective politician is one who has very good contact with the voter. However, there are behaviours that can effectively discourage a citizen from voting for a given politician.…Więcej

Antiochus IV Epiphanes “crazy”

Polybius in “Histories” describes the figure of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the son of King Antiochus III the Great, who, after the defeat of the Seleucid monarchy in the war with Rome in 188 BCE, had…Więcej

Vibia Perpetua – Christian martyr

Vibia Perpetua lived at the turn of the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE. She came from a wealthy Roman home, and her parents professed various faiths: her father was a pagan, and her mother was…Więcej

Todigubnus – example of local elite ready to cooperate with Romans

Before, during and after the conquest/subjugation of new territories, the Roman state always tried to find local elites who were ready to cooperate with the Romans. Such elites played a kind of link between the…Więcej

Widespread migrations within Roman Empire

Roman Empire was a country extremely open to internal migration; additionally, it relocated troops (especially auxiliary troops) to areas far from their homeland. This is evidenced by the preserved, inter alia, tombstones of soldiers and…Więcej

Silk was popular in Rome

During the reign of Octavian Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE), silk was an extremely popular material. Gaius Petronius refers to him as ventus textilis (“woven wind”). However, this product was extremely expensive and it…Więcej

Method for quick siege

In 60 CE, during the reign of Emperor Nero, the commander of the Roman army – Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo besieged the Armenian capital of Tigranocerta. During the siege, one of the Roman catapults threw the…Więcej

Elephants in Roman army?

Romans rarely used elephants in battle. Several pieces captured on Pyrrhus were present at the triumph of Manius Curius Dentatus in Rome in 275 BCE. However, it is not known what happened to these animals…Więcej

Roman marble bust showing bearded man

Roman marble bust showing a bearded man. The Roman is wearing a military coat that has been thrown over his bare chest. The artifact is on display at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New…Więcej

Nero took care of good physical condition of senators

Nero kept fit the entire senatorial body. In 59 CE in the gardens of his palace, he organized an amazing gymnastic and artistic competition – Ludi Iuvenales – for senators and equites, which shocked the…Więcej

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