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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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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.
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”.
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 a concave relief showing a bee. The object is from Syria. Dated on the 1st-3rd century CE.
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.
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.
Roman lamp in the shape of a bear holding a vessel. The object is dated to the 1st century CE the artifact is in the Museum of Santa Giulia, Brescia (northern Italy).
Emperor Caligula made many bizarre decisions during his reign. Certainly one of them was declaring war on the god of the sea, Poseidon. He ordered his soldiers to go to the beach and stab the sea and waves with their swords and throw spears at them.
Roman silver spoon with an engraved inside image of a rabbit nibbling a carrot. The object was found in the area of the former Roman settlement of Manching (southern Germany); dated to the middle of the 3rd century CE.
