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.

Honorary Otho

Marcus Salvius Otho went down in history as a ruler who would rather give his life than compete for the throne when it would involve a fratricidal war Romans. In a situation where his troops…Więcej

Roman wooden tablet with will

Roman wooden tablet on which is written a will. The beneficiary of the document – with an unknown name – had 100 days to apply for the inheritance in the event of the author’s death;…Więcej

Musculus – Roman war machine

The Latin word musculus means “little mouse” as well as “muscle”. The ambiguity comes from the fact that some of the moving muscles under the skin look like little mice in motion. Interestingly, musculus was…Więcej

What games did Romans play?

Roman children played games similar to those we know today. They probably played a variant of hopscotch, they competed in tug of war, tug of war or hide and seek. Paper, scissors and stone were…Więcej

Fortune-telling events

Valerius Maximus in his work Factorum et dictorum memorabilium libri novem presents interesting events in the history of Rome, in which omens and the superstition of the Romans were to play an important role. One…Więcej

Where was Nero buried?

We all remember from elementary school the ending of the novel “Quo Vadis?” H. Sienkiewicz, in which he recorded the end of the life of Emperor Nero, based on the account of the ancient historian…Więcej

Visualization of Golden House of Nero

Visualization of Golden House of Nero in Rome. The Golden House of Nero, also called Domus Aurea, was a Roman palace Emperor Nero located between the Palatine and Esquiline hills. Construction works began in 64…Więcej

Rome was often hit by earthquakes

Research by seismologists and historical records show that Rome has been hit by earthquakes every hundred years over two thousand years.Więcej

Expansion and Hellenization of city of Rome

The city of Rome, despite great military successes in the republican times, could not be compared to the powerful and beautiful metropolises of the Mediterranean world, such as Alexandria. To this end, in the 2nd…Więcej

Types of Roman prostitutes

Among Roman prostitutes, just like today, there was a division: luxury, middle-class and the lowest social class. Prostitution in ancient Rome was heavily institutionalized. They wore a special outfit that had to stand out from…Więcej

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