Crassus’ fire brigade
Marcus Licinius Crassus was one of the richest Romans in history. One of his ways to become rich was organizing a “fire brigade”.
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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.
Marcus Licinius Crassus was one of the richest Romans in history. One of his ways to become rich was organizing a “fire brigade”.
In Italy, the number 17 is considered unhappy. After converting Roman numerals XVII in such a way as to create the word “VIXI”. In Latin, the word means “my life is over.”
The marble head of the emperor Constans – ruling in 337-350 CE.
Pliny the Elder wrote that the white juice of lettuce calms the love enthusiasm, but also lowers the fever and also increases the volume of blood. What salad was it? Modern researchers have discovered that it was probably the so-called compass plant (lactuca serriola) – a wild plant, the ancestor of lettuce, resembling more dandelion than the familiar round vegetable.
It is possible that the customs associated with the celebration of Valentine’s Day refer to the ancient Roman feast, called Lupercalia, celebrated on February 15 in honour of Faun or the ancient god of the shepherds Lupercus, who protected their herd from wolves.
Roman frieze showing gladiator fight. Object dated back to 2nd – 3rd century CE. Object from the necropolis at Kibyra (Turkey), Burdur Museum.
Claudius Aelianus presents the struggle of ichneumon (Egyptian mongoose, also called the pharaoh’s rat) with a cobra. Ichneumon does not move to attack the enemy without caution and rashly. Just as a man can defend himself in full gear, the ichneumon is first rolled in the mud until it is covered with a hard shell, which serves him as a safe and tight protection. If the mud is missing, it is washed with water and the whole wet one dips deep into the sand – only then it starts to fight.