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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.
Two faces do not have good associations with us today. Especially in Polish, “two-facedness” comes dangerously close to “two-facedness” – a very disliked human trait. The old Roman god with two faces even has a dark place in popular culture – one of the criminal organizations that fill the James Bond spy universe was called Janus (“Goldeneye” 1995). A certain Batman antagonist also refers to Janus.
Very well preserved Roman road Via Flaminia, discovered in Riano (central Italy). The discovery occurred when construction works were being carried out for new waterworks; the road was almost a meter underground. In ancient times, the Via Flaminia led from Rome to Ariminum (north-east).
In San Casciano (northern Italy), a fragment of a marble statue of Apollo, which was over 2 meters high, was discovered. It was a marble copy of a Greek bronze sculpture.
Sculpture showing a sow with cubs. A unique Roman work of art, made of marble, located in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen (Denmark). The artifact dates back to the 1st and 2nd centuries CE.
Roman sculpture depicting Euripides, the Greek playwright. The object dates back to the 1st-2nd century CE; it is a copy of a Greek original from the 4th century BCE. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
In the south of Spain, in Estepona, there are the remains of a small Roman resort – Villa romana de Las Torres – located on the coast, right next to the Torre Guadalmansa lighthouse, from late medieval times.
In August 2023, near Pompeii, in the villa Civita Giuliana, the remains of a slave quarter were discovered. As it turns out, slaves lived in extremely simple conditions, along with rodents.
Roman sculpture depicting Herodotus, the Greek historian, called the “father of history”; dating back to the 3rd century CE. The object is a copy of a Greek original from the 4th century BCE. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Roman fresco showing the abandoned Ariadne weeping and being comforted by Revenge, who points to Theseus’ ship. According to Greek mythology, Ariadne helped Theseus escape from the maze after killing the Minotaur. After completing the task, Theseus took Ariadne with him, whom he wanted to marry in Athens. Ultimately, however, he left her on the island of Naxos on the orders of Dionysus, who wanted to marry a woman.
Roman fresco showing Dirke tied to the horns of a bull. According to mythology, Dirke was subjected to this death penalty by the sons of Antiope – Amphion and Zetus – the first wife of the king of Thebes, Lycus. Dirke, as Lykos’ second wife, took revenge on her predecessor. The facility is located in Pompeii. The artifact is located in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
