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Curiosities of ancient Rome
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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Nero the Antichrist
Emperor Nero became famous primarily for the first persecution of Christians during his reign. Including he used the burning flesh of Christians as candles at his feasts.
Aeneas was very popular
Aeneas became an extremely popular figure during the days of the first Roman emperors (that is, in the 1st century BCE – 1st century CE) which probably resulted from the fact that the Julius family, of which Caesar was a member, was also supposed to come from Aphrodite.
Donate milk and ground snail shells – good balm in Rome
Donkey’s milk and ground snail shells were the best-selling lotions in Ancient Rome. The effective action of donkey’s milk is already mentioned by Hippocrates (460-370 BCE). Pliny the Elder, in turn, mentioned the healing properties of milk.
Head of young Roman man
Roman marble head of a young man from the 1st-2nd century CE. The object is located in St. Louis Art Museum (USA).
Romans loved chariot racing
Alongside the gladiatorial fights, the Romans also loved chariot racing. The fans were divided into specific factions (factiones), depending on the colours. In Rome, four such fan clubs were classically distinguished: red (russata), green (prasina), white (albata) and blue (veneta).
Bugonia ritual and religious significance of bees in ancient Rome
Bees were special and peculiar to the ancients. Their presence in the myth dates back to times much earlier than Rome. They were of considerable importance in Egyptian and Minoan beliefs. Then they fascinated authors such as Publius Virgil Maro or Pliny the Elder. The bees had a divine element in them and were surrounded by a mystical aura of mystery. It is best expressed by the so-called Bugonia ritual.
There were also women gladiators in arena
The men weren’t the only ones who fought in the arenas of the Roman amphitheatres. The Romans trained arena fighting also women. They were the so-called gladiatrices, which were largely made up of volunteers. The Senate tried to minimize or forbid them to a minimum or forbid them from fighting in the arena. In 19 CE even the law Tabula Larinas was adopted, which stipulated that it was forbidden to recruit daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters of senators and equites to fight in the arena. The new law resulted from the fact that large numbers of women from well-to-do families joined the fight.
Roman inscription from Lilybauem
Roman inscription in Latin from 39-36 BCE commemorating the construction work carried out under the office of the prophet Lucius Plinius Rufus, who, on behalf of Sextus Pompey, son of Pompey the Great, commissioned the extension of the defensive fortifications in Lilybauem (now Marsala in Sicily), due to attacks by one of the triumvirs Marcus Lepidus.
