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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.
For the bravery shown in combat and good performance of all duties, Roman soldiers could receive the so-called a phalera (plural phalerae), a kind of medal or decoration which they then wore tied with leather straps above the chest.
Remains of the Roman floor heating system – hypocaustum – in the Roman Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily. The floor rested on visible brick pillars (pilae) about 80 cm high, and in the visible space warm air, which was generated by heating in the furnace, was supported. The system was expensive and required constant servicing of slaves; therefore only richer citizens could afford it.
The Roman statesman, Cato the Elder insisted that children should be bathed in warm urine, made by adults who have eaten cabbage before. On the other hand, if the child does not feel like falling asleep, put goat fertilizer in the diaper.
Fragment of a Roman mosaic showing a group of pigeons drinking from a vessel. The object adorned Hadrian’s villa in Tivoli (a city approximately 28 kilometers from Rome) in the years 118-134 CE.
Fragment of a preserved Roman leather tent from the Vercovicium fort, which formed part of Hadrian’s wall. The creation of one tent for an 8-person contubernium (the smallest unit in the legion) could require about 70 goatskins.
Cato the Elder fought against all Greek influence as a supporter of the traditional virtues of Roman and republican rule. He was a supporter of strict and old Roman traditions, the origin of which dates back to the Samnites.
Roman clay plate with imprints of a child’s foot and deer claw. The object is about 1,800 years old and was found in Ummendorf (southwest Germany).
In 62 BCE Cicero was to buy a house from Licinius Crassus, located in a prestigious place – on the Palatine – until for 3.5 million sesterces1. For this, the famous orator was forced to take out a large loan; which was normal in the ancient world. But what is interesting, how did such a large transaction come about?
Roman mosaic showing an octopus. The object was located in a Roman villa in Villaquejida, Spain. Dated on the 2nd-3rd century CE; it is now in the National Archaeological Museum of Madrid.
