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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.

Celtic resistance against Caesar

A special role in inciting resistance against the Romans was played by the extraordinary authority of the supernatural “intellectual elite” of the Celts – a network of centres bringing together the Celtic priesthood, a huge confraternity of druids, extending on both sides of the English Channel and maintaining close communication with each other.

Caesar on the march

Monumentum Liviae

Via Appia in Ancient Rome was the main cemetery avenue. There were countless monuments and monumental tombs of the most important Roman families. Among them, there were also mass graves for a less wealthy society.

Reconstruction of Columbarium Livia

Oracles of Astrampsychus

It is a known fact that in the world of ancient Romans, the poorer bourgeoisie could not count on the rights that wealthy Romans had only from being born into an eminent family. Unfortunately, plebeians tried unsuccessfully to fight for their rights, but in general official legal institutions were not interested in the problems of ordinary people.

Roman mosaic

Ancient buildings on Roman mosaic

A detail of a beautiful Roman mosaic showing the buildings at Hippo Regius in Algeria. The object is dated to the 2nd century CE. We can see beautiful porticos, columns, bars or even a quadriga crowning the monument.

Ancient buildings on Roman mosaic

Great defeats with Persians and Empire’s rematch in 3rd century CE

The greatest defeat in Roman history is considered to be the battle with Hannibal at Cannae in 216 BCE. There are also known hecatombs in the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE and under Adrianople in 378 CE. However, a little known fact is that in the 3rd century CE, during the reign of Emperor Valerian, the Empire suffered two major defeats with the Persian state of King Shapur I. At Barbalissos and Edessa, two large Roman armies of around 60,000-70,000 were probably defeated and destroyed. people. The empire suffered the greatest humiliation in its history – the emperor became a prisoner of the Persian ruler. The Romans did not forget about the rematch – as early as 282, Emperor Carus conquered Mesopotamia with the Persian capital Ctesiphon, and only his unexpected death stopped the further march of the legions to the east.

The Persian king Shapur I using the former Emperor Valerian as a footstool when mounting his horse

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