Curiosities of ancient Rome

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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.

I encourage you to submit your own suggestions and to report any corrections or inaccuracies.

Superstitions of Romans were really strange

Romans were very superstitious. They believed in many things that they could not logically explain. For example, the old superstition was known – kissing a female mule in the nostrils cured hiccups and a runny…Więcej

Onions – delicacy of Romans

Onion was extremely popular in ancient Roman times, and therefore it is probably still used in many dishes in Europe. With the conquest of Europe, the Romans took the vegetable with them to various regions,…Więcej

Price of slaves in ancient Rome

The price of slaves in ancient Rome varied greatly. After a victorious military campaign, in which many slaves were captured, the price was naturally low due to the multitude of goods. Plautus (c. 250 BCE…Więcej

Impressive reconstruction of city walls of Lilybaeum

Lilybaeum (today’s Marsala) was an ancient city founded on the initiative of Carthaginians, who considered the southwestern coast of Sicily as their base of operations on the island. The walls were connected in a straight…Więcej

During mourning, Roman family of deceased did not cut their hair

During mourning, the family of the deceased did not cut their hair and beard, wore black clothes and did not wear any ornaments. The mourning time for the men was about a few days; when…Więcej

Roman helmet of provocator

Roman helmet once belonged to a gladiator of type provocator. Object dated to the 1st century CE and is on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples. The helmet is beautifully decorated with a…Więcej

Education of Roman boys and girls

Roman children (both boys and girls) were home-schooled Latin, elementary reading, writing and arithmetic. During this period of their lives, their most important teachers were their parents, who were to prepare them for life in…Więcej

Predicted fate of Cassius Parmensis

Ancient source texts very often convey stories in which the tragic events for the heroes were previously heralded by various strange events. Valerius Maximus tells us the story of a certain Cassius Parmensis, one of…Więcej

Ancestors of Romans were descended from Aeneas

According to Roman legend, the ancestors of the Romans descended from refugees (including Aeneas) from burning Troy who settled and built cities in Latium. In Greek and Roman mythology, the hero of the Trojan War.…Więcej

Roman figurine depicting triple deity

Roman small figurine showing the triple deity: Venus, Fortune and Isis. Object dated to the 2nd century CE; it is now in The British Museum.Więcej

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