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Curiosities of ancient Rome
The world of ancient Romans abounded in a number of amazing curiosities and information. The source of knowledge about the life of the Romans are mainly works left to us by ancient writers or discoveries. The Romans left behind a lot of strange information and facts that are sometimes hard to believe.
Roman sexual terms
Naturally, ancient Romans also had their own expressions for all sexual activities. For example, the word cinaede meant a person who was anally penetrated.
Roman statue depicting naked Apollo
Roman statue – made of bronze – showing the naked Apollo. The object is dated to the 2nd-3rd century CE.
Roman phalerae made of bronze
Made of bronze Roman phalerae (only in the plural in Latin. The object dates back to the 2nd century CE.
Reconstruction of Villa Jovis
Reconstruction of Villa Jovis, the residence where Emperor Tiberius (14-37 CE) spent the end of his reign. The villa was built on the island of Capri, off the west coast of Italy.
Roman plate bowl with coloured stripes
Roman plate bowl with coloured stripes. Object dated to the 1st BCE – 1st CE.
Third century CE was time of great crisis in Roman Empire
The third century CE was a time of the mighty crisis of the Roman Empire. The crisis of the 3rd century is also called the “age of anarchy” by historians; the “intermediate period”, the “epoch of the emperors-soldiers” and the “military monarchy”. The need to defend the borders against the invasions of Germanic tribes and the Persian army forced the emperors to excessively expand the army, whose maintenance costs increased and the Roman economy was unable to bear them.
Fragment of Roman statuette depicting Hermaphrodite
Fragment of a Roman marble statue depicting a sleeping Hermaphrodite. The two-sex deity is naked and leaning on their crossed arms.
Roman bronze balsamarium
Roman bronze balsamarium. The lotion was stored in this vessel. The object is decorated with reliefs showing hunting scenes.
Wonderful mosaic from Roman villa in Spain
In one of the rooms of a luxurious Roman villa in Noheda (central Spain) a beautiful composition was found showing mythological scenes from Greek and Roman culture. The mosaic is really impressive as it has over 230 m2.
