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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.
Suetonius reports that Augustus was a game lover to such extent that he invited his friends and family, gave everyone a sum of 250 denarii in order to encourage them to play. And he did not mind his own legal restrictions introduced in this matter. However, he was not a good player. In the letters he complained that he had suffered numerous losses due to gambling. Also Nero loved to play and was known for high bets. Apparently, they reached up to 400.000 sesterces.
Sperlonga (Latin term for grotto or cave) at the foundations of the villa of emperor Tiberius, on the coast near Naples. The ruler adopted the cave for his summer banquet room.
Roman glass vessel, dated to 52-125 CE, found in Begram in Afghanistan – the city of the Kushan Empire. According to the Australian archaeologist Warwick Ball, the object was on its way to China through the Silk Road along with other merchant goods.
Roman dice tower called turricula or pyrgus. The dices thrown in from the top felt down the stairs giving random results. It was also a way for the thrown to be fair. Found in the ruins of a fort on the border of the Roman Empire with Germania, in 1983, in the form of preserved bronze plates. Archaeologists have reconstructed the artifact, which we can admire today. Dated to the 4th century CE and is believed to have been given as a gift.
After the victory over Pompey, in 48 BCE at Pharsalus and his death, Caesar became the sole master of the Roman world. Cleopatra VII, expelled from Alexandria by her brother Ptolemy XIII, was looking for every way to regain power and rebuild the power of Egypt under her rule.
Contubernium in Roman law was a permanent and legally permissible relationship between slaves or a free person and a slave. Contubernium was a purely factual relationship with no legal effect. Children from this relationship became the property of the owner of a slave.
