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Curiosities of ancient Rome

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 piece of glass with image of Roman

Roman square piece of glass – white, green, brown and black. Interestingly, the small object shows the figure of a bearded man with a wreath on his head. The artefact has the dimensions: 3.6×1, 1×1 cm.

Roman piece of glass with image of Roman

Fresco from Pompeii showing girls

Roman fresco from Pompeii showing girls probably in the process of learning. The person in the front holds a stylus and a wax tablet. It is worth noting the position of the stylus on the lips, which appears quite often in other ancient works.

Fresco from Pompeii showing girls

Roman portrait of elderly man

A very interesting Roman portrait of an elderly man. The object is dated to the beginning of the 2nd-century CE. from the reign of Emperor Trajan. The object is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

Roman portrait of elderly man

Beautiful head of Roman goddess

The beautifully preserved marble head of the Roman goddess that was part of the Venus’ or Minerva’s statue. The object was found on Esquiline in Rome. You can still see traces of polychrome – stone painting. Currently, the artifact can be admired at The British Museum.

Beautiful head of Roman goddess

Roman tombstone with interesting inscription

Roman tombstone with an interesting inscription: “To Helena, foster child, soul without comparison and deserving of praise”. Interestingly, the bas-relief shows a dog, so it’s not entirely clear whether the inscription refers to a dead dog or a child. The object is located in the Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Roman tombstone with interesting inscription

Roman brick tomb in Serbia

Roman brick tomb in Serbia, built in the 2nd-3rd century CE. The object was discovered in a necropolis at an excavation site in Gomolava (Hrtkovci village) in northern Serbia. This place is one of the “richest” in terms of archaeological finds in Serbia.

Roman brick tomb in Serbia

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