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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.
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In the middle of the 1st century BCE, the Roman republic experienced a real systemic crisis. A perfect example of this is 59 BCE when the consulate was held by Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus (son-in-law of Caton the Younger) and Gaius Julius Caesar.
Octavian Augustus (63 BCE – 14 CE) like virtually every famous personage, and even more so the ruler had to reckon with numerous rumours about himself. One of them was allegedly the emperor’s adoration of deflowering virgins, whom Livia was to send him from various parts of the Empire.
Roman Weisenau type legionary helmet, dated to the 1st century CE. The helmet is preserved without the cheeks. There is an engraving on the neck guard with the initials of the name of the soldier who wore it – Lucius Lucretius Celer. A Roman served in the centuria of Gaius Mummius Lolianus of the 1st Adiutrix legion.
Ancient handbag made of copper alloy in which coins were carried. The object is dated to the 2nd century CE. To spend the money, the purse had to be removed from the shoulder. The artifact is in the Kurpfälzisches Museum in southwest Germany.
The wife of Octavian Augustus – Livia – took great care of her body, caring for both its beauty and health. She reportedly had a large number of hairdressers, masseuses, dressmakers, and jewellers among her servants.
Amazing Roman mosaic showing a tigress attacking a calf. The object is dated around the 4th century CE; is in the Capitoline Museums in Rome.
Roman mosaic showing “surprised” Neptune in a chariot. Object dated to the 2nd century CE. The artifact is currently in the Musee des Beaux-Arts et d’Archeologie in Besançon (eastern France).
Roman medicine had its high level, especially in the legions. Celsus, a Roman scholar in the 1st century CE, claims that military doctors knew human anatomy much better than their colleagues in private practice.
Emperor Octavian Augustus (63 BCE – 14 CE), while lying on his death bed, asked his friends if they thought he had played his the drama of life. Finally, he was to say in Greek:
