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.

Trojan pig – Roman dish

Information about a luxurious Roman dish – the so-called The “Trojan pig” comes from the 5th century and we owe it to the scientist Macrobius. Macrobius himself describes the meaning of the dish as follows:…Więcej

Tablet (No. 311) discovered in Vindolanda

Tablet (No. 311) discovered at the Roman camp of Vindolanda, in northern England. In the letter, Sollemnis addresses a certain Paris (a soldier of the third Batavian cohort), to whom he points out that he…Więcej

Tarpeian rock

The Tarpeian Rock (saxum Tarpeium, mons Tarpeius, arx Tarpeia), is the slope of the Capitoline Hill named after the Vestal of Virgin – Tarpea, who betrayed Rome for promises of gold bracelets/epaulettes worn by the…Więcej

Roman road – Ermine Street

A preserved Roman road that used to lead from Londinium (London) north to Lindum Colonia (Lincoln) and Eboracum (York). The section south of Ware in Hertfordshire is still in good condition. The condition of the…Więcej

Great sarcophagus of Ludovisi

The so-called Ludovisi’s great sarcophagus was discovered in 1621 in a tomb on Via Tiburtina and found its way into the collections of the famous collector of ancient art – Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi, nephew of…Więcej

Tribune of the plebs in ancient Rome

The office of the tribune of the plebs in ancient Rome was formed at the beginning of the republic, probably at the beginning of the 5th century BCE. In 494 BCE in the face of…Więcej

Arria and Caecina Paetus

Women are often called “weak sex”. Nothing could be more wrong. More than once, this “weak sex” had more “guts” than many men. Ideally, this can be illustrated by the example of Arria – the…Więcej

How far did Romans go – Roman territorial gains and expeditions deep into Africa

The map showing the greatest territorial extent of the Roman Empire is well known, as is the history of the Roman legion in China. But how far south did the Romans travel on their African…Więcej

Roman fresco depicting Amores playing hide and seek

Roman wall fresco depicting Amores playing hide and seek. Object dated to the middle of the 1st century CE. The painting was discovered at Herculaneum at Casa dei Cervi; now it is in the National…Więcej

Julian the Apostate against bureaucracy

The Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate, despite his brief reign (361-363 CE), contributed more to internal reform than any late- roman emperor. One of his decisions was to curb the bureaucracy and to reform the…Więcej

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