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.

Roman copy of Greek sculpture depicting warrior

Roman copy of a Greek sculpture from the 5th century BCE. Scientists date the object to the years of the Severian dynasty (193-235 CE). The sculpture shows the naked body of a male warrior, with…Więcej

Gratidianus and monetary reform

Marcus Gratidianus was a Roman politician born around 125 BCE. In 85 BCE he held the office of praetor. During this period, Rome struggled with an economic crisis caused by civil wars. It manifested itself,…Więcej

Roman silver tray

Roman silver tray, known as “Corbridge Lanx”. There are scenes from Greek mythology on the vessel. It is located in the British Museum and was found in the 18th century in northern England. Dated to…Więcej

Ancient universities of law

The knowledge of the origins of universities is mostly found in the Middle Ages, referring to the founding of the first university in Bologna, which took place around 1088. Of course, this university achieved great…Więcej

Roman tombstone of Gaius Valerius Taurus

Roman tombstone of Gaius Valerius Taurus. The deceased at the time of death was 30 years old and served 10 years in the 4th Macedonica legion. Object found in Mainz (West Germany) and dated to…Więcej

Roman relief showing men operating crane

Roman relief from the tomb of the Haterii family. As can be seen in the bas-relief, the family was involved in construction work. We can see the building and the men operating the crane. The…Więcej

Gaius Julius Zoilos

Gaius Julius Zoilos was born in the first half of the 1st century BCE in the Roman city of Aphrodisias (today’s southern Turkey). The excavations carried out there over the last fifty years have revealed…Więcej

Special role of Roman flamin of Jupiter

Roman priests, in addition to their cult activities, sometimes played another role – representing the function of “their” deity. A special case of such a priest was the flamin of Jupiter, the most venerable of…Więcej

Shakespeare and Caesar

William Shakespeare, the famous English playwright, known to schoolchildren mainly as the creator of Hamlet and Macbeth, wrote many plays about the lives of historical figures, mainly of the old English kings. Among his works,…Więcej

Reconstruction of boxer’s sculpture

Reconstruction of the famous ancient sculpture depicting a boxer in rest. It shows a naked boxer resting. The man was presented extremely realistically: you can see the furrows under the eye and blood on his…Więcej

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