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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.
In 1863, at the villa Livia Drusilla (Villa di Livia), the wives of Emperor Octavian Augustus, an unusual work of art was found. The underground chamber has been designed so that the visitor has an amazing artistic experience.
The most famous port of ancient Rome is probably the one in Ostia – the main port of the Republic of Rome. However, this river haven has not always been able to meet the needs of a rapidly growing metropolis. That is why in the first century CE Emperor Claudius founded Portus, an imperial seaport that was used continuously until the 8th century when a fleet resided there under the command of Pope Constantine (708-715).
The Roman port Portus from the empire with the current view. The port was built during the reign of Emperor Claudius (41-54 CE) and was greatly expanded during the reign of Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE), to be complementary to the port Ostia.
For many, the United States is the modern homeland of democracy – many solutions from the US political system have been adopted in European countries. For years, American leaders have been referring to ancient patterns, as evidenced by the names of cities and streets that clearly refer to, among others, the Roman world.
A beautiful Roman fresco showing the nature. The painting was in Livia’s villa in Prima Porta, near Rome.
The primary method of attacking the Roman fleet was by boarding. Rome developed its power through a land army, therefore naval combat was a problem for a long time, and lack of skill often led to defeats. The solution was the “raven” (corvus), a ramp equipped with two or one spike (resembling a bird’s beak, hence the name) for boarding. It allowed for the introduction of the tactic of quickly jumping to the enemy and using the infantry force at sea.
During the republic, in the 2nd century BCE have developed and fully formed the basic moral values of the ancient Romans. The most important feature was virtus (virtue). It meant a behaviour worthy of a real man (vir), according to the rules of law and honour, the ability to distinguish what is good from what is bad. It is also “setting boundaries and restraint to your desires”, as Gaius Lucilius – a friend of Scipio Aemilianus wrote.
Gaius Julius Caesar is known from ancient sources as a charismatic leader and warrior able to turn the tide of battle. An example of such skills is the story told by Plutarch of Cheronei.
