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.

Preserved Roman strigil

Roman strigil, made of bronze. The object is dated to the 1st century CE and is currently in “The MET” in New York. There is an inscription on the object: L.MUC.F, which means that the…Więcej

Camp life of Romans

In each Roman military camp, latrines were built, fed with running water from nearby streams. The analysis of the contents of the septic tank rinsed from these sanitary facilities allowed archaeologists to reconstruct the diet…Więcej

“Judgement of Paris” on Roman mosaic

Roman mosaic from the 2nd century CE showing the so-called “judgment of Paris”. The object comes from Antioch (southern Turkey). In the mosaic, we see the goddess Juno, who is depicted next to Minerva and…Więcej

Cicero and peas

Cicero, offered a silver cup as an offering, in the inscription, instead of his nickname, Cicero had the first letters of his name and a pea engraved (in Latin cicer means “peas”). This certainly proves…Więcej

Reconstruction of appearance of Didius Julianus

Reconstruction of the appearance of Emperor Didius Julianus (ruled several months in 193 CE), who gained power in an unusual way by buying it. At the end of 192 CE, Emperor Commodus died, and in…Więcej

Roman bas-relief showing Roman family

Roman bas-relief showing a Roman family. The artefact was discovered in the ancient city of Lauriacum, or present-day Enns (Austria). Dated to the reign of Septimius Severus (193-211 CE). It is located at the Museum…Więcej

End of world according to Romans

Ancient Romans predicted the end of the world twice. Both prophecies were related to a preached myth in which 12 eagles were revealed to Romulus. The first interpretation was that each eagle represented a period…Więcej

Mago’s mission to Carthage with request for support for Hannibal

Despite the great victory of at Cannae in 216 BCE, Hannibal still needed both material and military support to defeat the Romans. To this end, Hannibal, before the battle, sent his younger brother Magon to…Więcej

Cicero’s family

As it turns out, Cicero – a great Roman orator and lawyer from the 1st century BCE – was a kind of kidding person, even from his immediate family. Marcus Tullius Cicero’s brother, Quintus was…Więcej

Roman toilet in Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily

Roman toilet located in the famous Roman villa – Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily. The site has been deliberately isolated from the rest of the building and is close to the villa owner’s south…Więcej

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