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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.
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Roman marble bust of Octavian August, depicting the emperor with the corona civica – on his head awarded to August by the Senate in exchange for appreciating him merit for ending the civil war. The bust is in the Munich Gliptotheque.
Reconstruction of the image of Didius Julianus, the emperor who ruled Rome for three months in 193 CE at the age of 60.
Roman statue showing a hermaphrodite feeding a bird. The sculpture transforms into a pillar. Object dated to the 2nd century CE.
Roman marble head of the Amazon. The object was found at the Villa of the Papyri in Herculaneum.
Reconstruction of a Roman villa in Chedworth (south-west England), which was built at the beginning of the 2nd century CE. The preserved remains of the villa prove that it was one of the largest objects of this type discovered in England.
In ancient times, the Romans originally did not have great respect for doctors. Their knowledge and possible remedies came from rural life. Treated with simple home remedies. Cato the Elder writes that the father of the family – pater familias should have the appropriate knowledge.
