Curiosities of ancient Rome

Roman castellum Celemantia in Slovakia, at the Danube. Castellum is hard to define unequivocally. In sources it was described as a fortification, fort or fortress, which in practice also served as a watchtower.

Castellum is a word derived from a diminutive of castrum, or Roman camp – the so-called “little fort”. This is mentioned, among others, by Vegetius: “And if no ancient fortifications are to be met with, small forts must be built in proper situations, surrounded with large ditches, for the reception of detachments of horse and foot, so that the convoys will be effectually protected. For an enemy will hardly venture far into a country where he knows his adversary’s troops are so disposed as to be ready to encompass him on all sides”¹.

Puteoli or today’s Pozzuoli. Known mainly for the nearby layers of volcanic sand called “pozzolana”. Once a magnificent Roman port on the Gulf of Naples. Many different buildings have been preserved there from Roman times. One of such places is Macellum the market.

Roman bust of an elegant woman, with a hairstyle typical of the aristocracy at the turn of the 1st-2nd century CE. The high social position is indicated not only by the hairstyle, but also by the hair tiara. The sculpture is located in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Roman silver engagement ring from 2nd-3rd century CE. It was discovered in the ancient Viminacium in eastern Serbia.

Fayum portrait of a man in a blue cloak. The painting was made with the encaustic method on a wooden panel. The object comes from the 1st-2nd century CE and is located as an exhibit at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow (Russia).

Roman bronze bowl found near Chatham in the southeast of England. The object is dated to the 1st century CE. On the inside of the artifact, there is an inscription “Africanus” indicating the craftsman.