Owl on Roman mosaic
Roman mosaic showing an owl. The object was discovered in southern France, in the city of Uzès. Artifact dated to the second half of the 1st century BCE.
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Curiosities of ancient Rome
The world of ancient Romans abounded in a number of amazing curiosities and information. The source of knowledge about the life of the Romans are mainly works left to us by ancient writers or discoveries. The Romans left behind a lot of strange information and facts that are sometimes hard to believe.
Roman glass urn containing cremated bones of deceased
Roman glass urn containing the cremated bones of the deceased. The object was found near the camp of the Legio II Augusta in Caerleon (Wales), in an ancient cemetery. The ashes probably belong to one of the fallen Roman legionaries. Artifact dated to the 1st century CE.
Tragic earthquake in Antioch in 115 CE
At the end of 115 CE, Emperor Trajan travelled to Antioch, which he had chosen as his headquarters during an operational break in the Roman-Parth War. He was to devote this time to recuperation and overseeing the process of creating new provinces in Armenia and Mesopotamia. Unexpectedly, however, during this time, there was a massive earthquake.
“Inventions have reached their limit long time ago …”
Sextus Julius Frontinus, one of the most outstanding Roman senators and engineers of the 1st century CE was supposed to say: Inventions reached their limit long ago, and I see no hope for further development.
Secret “weapon” against Emperor Trajan
Cassius Dio has left a message that King Abgarus, who ruled in the small country of Osroene on the Euphrates, tried at all costs to remain neutral during the invasion of Trajan’s Roman troops on the Parthia. In order not to offend any of the parties and in the future not to worry about the fate of the kingdom, he decided to use his secret “weapon”.
Obese Emperor Vitellius
Emperor Vitellius was perhaps one of Rome’s most obese rulers. He feasted all the time. He ate at least three times a day. He often vomited so that he could eat more and more.
Beautiful intaglio with concave relief showing bee
Beautiful intaglio with a concave relief showing a bee. The object is from Syria. Dated on the 1st-3rd century CE.
Relief showing two gladiators
Relief showing two gladiators (gladiatrix) in a fight. Each of the women is armed with a sword and a square shield, but no helmets. As the preserved inscriptions on the stone indicate, Amazon and Achillia fought each other, and the stake of the fight was an honorary draw. The object was found in Halicarnassus (Southwestern Turkey). Dated on the 1st-2nd century CE.
War gases in ancient times
Combat gases are associated primarily with the First World War and their terrible effectiveness. It was then that chemical weapons were used on a massive scale, but this method of fighting was not new at all. The ancients were so ingenious that they used chemical weapons on the battlefield as early as the 3rd century CE.
