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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.

War of Roman Empire with Bosporan kingdom in 45 – 49 CE as attempt to shed dependence on Rome

The Bosporan Kingdom was a political power that was established at the beginning of the 5th century BCE. as a result of an alliance of several dozen cities and towns located along both shores of the Kerch Strait (Crimea Peninsula) for joint defence against nomadic peoples. From the end of the 1st century BCE, the Bosporan Kingdom fell under the influence of the Roman Empire, which was interested in controlling the situation in the northern part of the Black Sea region and the provinces nearby.

29 March 2022

Territorial development of the Bosporan Kingdom

Claudius the judge

Emperor Claudius was once a judge of a man accused of an unlawful preaching Roman citizen. According to Suetonius, the ruler was to make brilliant decisions.

29 March 2022

Roman ring depicting emaciated and bearded man with huge phallus

Roman ring showing a thin and bearded man with a huge phallus killing a giant grasshopper. The relief was carved in a carnelian; it is dated around the 1st century BCE.

29 March 2022

Roman ring depicting emaciated and bearded man with huge phallus

Ancient acne

Who among us did not struggle in adolescence with colloquially called “pimples”. The same problem also applied to the youth of the ancient world.

29 March 2022

January calends – new year in ancient Romans

Ancient Romans, on various occasions, but mainly during the January calendars, wished each other happiness with expressions of kindness and exchanged gifts. Ovid mentions that the Romans gave themselves gifts, mainly dates, figs, and honey. In addition, there were also cash gifts.

28 March 2022

January calends - new year in ancient Romans

Roman mosaic depicting Oceanus or Neptune

Roman mosaic showing Oceanus or Neptune “creating” the sea world; lobsters come out of his head and dolphins come out of his mouth. The object is dated to the 4th century CE and was found in a Roman villa in Withington, Gloucestershire, central England.

28 March 2022

Roman mosaic depicting Oceanus or Neptune

Nero was popular ruler

After the death of Nero, it was speculated that the emperor was alive and merely faked a suicide to escape from his torturers. His grave was worshipped, flowers were laid on it. There were several pretenders claiming to be Nero.

27 March 2022

Alchemy in Greek and Roman times

Although medieval and ancient alchemy shares many common elements, it is difficult to find a clear continuity between the Greco-Roman and medieval traditions. One of the main differences is that the first one was based mainly on philosophical subjects and hermeticism, while the second one valued higher the experimental contact with the surrounding matter. However, was this really the case? What do we owe to the Greco-Roman alchemists? What does alchemy have to do with the monetary unification of Emperor Diocletian? The answer is in the article below.

27 March 2022

Distillation equipment designed by Zosimos according to a Byzantine manuscript

Human beings were sacrificed in Rome

In ancient Rome, contrary to popular belief, human sacrifices were made. We are talking here, especially about the period of the wars with Carthage in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, when numerous failures were explained by the disapproval of the gods.

26 March 2022

Roman fresco showing an attempt to sacrifice Iphigenia, daughter of Agamemnon

Roman mosaic showing relationship between Aeneas and Dido

Roman mosaic floor that shows scenes from Virgil’s “Aeneid”, exactly the love relationship between Aeneas and Dido, Queen of Carthage. The object is dated to the middle of the 4th century CE discovered in the so-called “Low Ham Roman Villa” in the South West of England.

24 March 2022