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 terracotta showing scenes in lupanar

Roman terracotta showing scenes in the lupanar. Object dated to the 1st century CE.Więcej

Antique sculptures with carved crosses or broken noses

Numerous antique sculptures with an engraved cross on the forehead or chin and a broken nose, for example, have survived to this day. These actions were the work of both vandalism and accident. Speaking of…Więcej

Roman road in Szombathely

The preserved remains of the Roman road, called the “Amber Road”, in the Hungarian city of Szombathely, in the west of the country. In Roman times, the town of Savaria (Colonia Claudia Savaria) was located…Więcej

Roman pediment of funerary altar

Roman pediment of the funerary altar. The inscription is not preserved, however it is suspected that the woman was the mother of both men who look respectfully at her. The object comes from the 2nd…Więcej

Roman vessel made of dichroic glass

Roman vessel made of dichroic glass. Object dated to the 2nd-3rd century CE. The ancient artists who made the vessel crushed ordinary glass particles with gold and silver particles to create granules with a diameter…Więcej

Roman rock crystal showing man’s head

Roman rock crystal showing a man’s head. The object comes from Caesarea, Israel. The head represents either the emperor Vitellius or Trajan.Więcej

Roman bust of Plotina

Roman marble bust of Plotina, empress and wife of emperor Trajan. Dated back to 110-120 CE. Located at the National Museum in Rome. Plotinus was an exemplary, only wife of Trajan. Due to the fact…Więcej

Mattea’s sarcophagus

Today I will tell you about a monument hidden from the eyes of tourists, which is a sculptural illustration of the myth about the foundation of Rome. We are talking about the front of the…Więcej

Ancient Romans cast curses

One of the curiosities is the fact that in ancient Rome, black magic was very common and often practiced, and thus the casting of curses. There are traces of this fact dating back to the…Więcej

Roman denarius of usurper Carausius

Roman denarius of Britain’s usurper Carausius in 286-293 CE. The coin was found in Wiltshire, southern England. Carausius proclaimed himself emperor in Britain after he fled Gaul in 286 CE before his arrest and execution…Więcej

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