If you have found a spelling error, please, notify us by selecting that text and pressing Ctrl+Enter.
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.
Silver denarius Emperor Trajan from 107-108 CE, which was to celebrate the victorious Dacian wars. On the reverse, there is a trophy (the so-called tropaion) of victory in the form of a tree trunk decorated with captured enemy armour and weapons.
Decorated Roman knife handles, made of ivory, depicting gladiators: Pardus and Senilis. Object found in Savaria (present-day Szombathely, western Hungary).
Ancient red marble sculpture depicting a hippopotamus. The object was probably found in the Sallust gardens in Rome and was part of a fountain; water was led from the left front leg to the mouth. It is worth mentioning that hippos were identified with Egypt. The artifact is currently located in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen (Denmark); dating back to the 2nd century CE.
Aemilia Tertia, wife of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus and mother of Cornelia – who in turn was the mother of brothers Gracchi (great reformers) – was a woman extremely tolerant and moderate in behaviour, and above all behaved perfectly in the Roman approach.
Roman mosaic showing eight fish, two squid and an eel. Object dated to the 1st BCE – 1st century CE; it is now in The British Museum. Found in a Roman villa in Cecchignola, Italy.
Ancient Romans used ink, usually made of rubber and soot, to write on papyrus and parchment. They used red ink to better visualize the titles.
A preserved fragment of a Latin historical work (marked as No. 745), on parchment, concerning the Macedonian wars of Rome – De bellis Macedonicis. Dated on the 1st – the beginning of the 2nd century CE. The author of the work is unknown.
