Curiosities of ancient Rome

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Roman sculpture depicting Greek intellectual

Roman sculpture depicting a Greek intellectual. The object is a copy of a Greek original from the 4th century BCE. The artifact is located in Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen (Denmark).

Sulpture showing young man

Sculpture showing a young man; perhaps Narcissus, Paris or Adonis. The object dates back to the 2nd century CE. The artifact is located in Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen (Denmark).

Roman bust of Lucius Verus

Roman bust of Lucius Verus, who ruled from 161-169 CE. The object was discovered in the Tomb of Licinius in Rome. The emperor was depicted in the sculpture as an 8-year-old child in 138 CE, when he was adopted by ... Read more

Roman sculpture showing Roman

Roman sculpture showing a Roman. Object dated to 40-30 BCE; discovered in the Temple of Hercules in Cori (Italy). The artifact is located in Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen (Denmark).

Limestone sculpture depicting lion

Limestone sculpture depicting a lion. The object dates back to the times of the Roman Empire. The artifact is located in Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen (Denmark), and was discovered in northern Italy.

Herm of Mercury

Roman sculpture showing Mercury (Greek equivalent – Hermes), the so-called herma. Herms were born in Greece, where they traditionally depicted the very popular god Hermes (hence their name). Apart from the upper part, Hermes also had a carved phallus placed ... Read more

Roman head of Hercules

Roman head of Hercules. The marble object is probably dated to the 2nd century CE and was discovered in Rome. According to researchers, the damage on the right side of the face indicates that the sculpture depicted a hero with ... Read more

Ancient sales receipt

Preserved Roman tablet confirming that a “full-grown North African girl in the best condition” was sold to the sailor Titus Memmius Montanus for 625 denarii, about two and a half times the basic annual salary of a marine.

Scene from Trajan’s column showing testudo formation

Scene from Trajan’s Column showing the testudo (“turtle”) formation during battle. The object is located in the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest.

Wooden toy sword

An uncovered sword made of wood, which was probably the toy of a young Roman who pretended to be a legionary. The object dates back to the 1st-4th century CE; discovered in London (England). The artifact is in the British ... Read more
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